WBA Calls Wi-Fi HaLow IoT Field Trials “Triumphant”

The Wireless Broadband Alliance announced the successful completion of phase two field trials of IEEE 802.11ah Wi-Fi HaLow, considered ideal for IoT.

The WBA’s Wi-Fi HaLow for IoT project trials took place in North America, and are intended to show benefits including extended ranges, improved material penetration, extended battery life, enhanced device density, better security, and improved throughput for IoT when compared to existing Wi-Fi standards. 

Specific use cases in this trial were Warehousing, Smart Home, Farm, City, Office, Campus and Smart Industrial Complex.

The trials were carried out by the WBA and some of its members. Partners and participants included Morse Micro, Newracom, Methods2Business, AT&T, Charter Communications, Nextcomm Systems, and Qualcomm.

“Each of these real-world field trials has been a huge success demonstrating the readiness and the benefits Wi-Fi HaLow standard can bring to a vast range of industries and use cases, improving performance and reducing complexity,” said Tiago Rodrigues, WBA CEO.

“We now move to the next phase, and are inviting industry players interested in participating in trials across EMEA and APAC to reach out. Your participation can help shape the future of IoT connectivity and drive innovation across various sectors.”

What is Wi-Fi HaLow?

Wi-Fi HaLow includes features such as “operation in the sub-1 GHz radio band, the use of narrow channel bandwidths, an increased number of supported devices and new operating modes to accommodate battery-operated devices,” according to the WBA.

The WBA further explained that Wi-Fi HaLow “builds upon the foundations of Wi-Fi, retaining such features as the most up-to-date high levels of security and native-IP support inherent in all internet connectivity.”

To see details of the trials, visit WBA’s website.