Wi-Fi Alliance recently announced the launch of Wi-Fi for Matter, a new certification that ensures applicable Wi-Fi devices meet the Connectivity Standards Alliance requirements necessary for Matter certification. This new certification allows Wi-Fi Alliance members to more efficiently develop products supporting Matter functionality and bring them to market faster.
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED delivers foundational benefits to the Matter ecosystem. The Wi-Fi for Matter certification focuses on access points (APs), supporting several Wi-Fi features – including Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 – required by the Matter specification. Together, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED and Matter certification provide consumers and manufacturers with confidence that IoT devices meet the highest standards for seamless connectivity, interoperability, and reliability in the smart home.
“Wi-Fi and Matter are two cornerstone technologies driving the next wave of IoT innovation,” said Kevin Robinson, President and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance. “With Wi-Fi for Matter, we are helping our members accelerate deployment of products that deliver the scalability, simplicity, and interoperability that consumers expect in their connected homes.”
Wi-Fi for Matter combines several existing Wi-Fi Alliance certifications and features that meet Connectivity Standard Alliance’s baseline Wi-Fi requirements for Matter certification of devices providing the Wi-Fi infrastructure.
The initial AP-focused certification includes:
- Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6
- Extended Sleep
- IPv4 Proxy Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
- IPv6 Proxy Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP)
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED brings foundational benefits to Matter devices through Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6, including strong WPA3 security, proven interoperability, and power saving features to extend battery life of IoT devices. Extended sleep, ARP, and NDP features – mandatory for Matter’s Network Infrastructure Managers (NIMs) – enable low-power client devices to conserve energy while maintaining a reliable connection with the AP.
Most Matter devices operate over Wi-Fi networks. As consumers increasingly adopt Matter to expand their smart homes, ensuring the readiness of Wi-Fi infrastructure becomes crucial. The Wi-Fi for Matter certification ensures that APs support foundational feature sets required by Matter, particularly for battery-operated devices, thereby strengthening the scalability and reliability of the global IoT ecosystem.
“The Connectivity Standards Alliance and Wi-Fi Alliance share a vision for a global IoT ecosystem built on interoperability, security, and consumer trust,” said Tobin Richardson, President and CEO, Connectivity Standards Alliance. “Wi-Fi for Matter certification and the value of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ensures that Wi-Fi devices deliver the foundational capabilities required by Matter, strengthening the ecosystem and helping companies bring high-quality smart home products to market faster.”
There’s plenty of other editorial on our sister site, Electronic Specifier! Or you can always join in the conversation by visiting our LinkedIn page.
