The Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem is rapidly evolving, and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow™ is here to meet the long-range, low-power connectivity demands of IoT. It is estimated that there will be 27 billion connected IoT devices deployed by 2025,[1] and a growing number of these devices will connect through Wi-Fi HaLow™ as the protocol gains traction in a variety of settings including home, enterprise, hospitality, factories, farms, and smart cities. Read on to learn how Wi-Fi HaLow is expanding IoT connectivity.

Key features and benefits of Wi-Fi HaLow 

Developed specifically for IoT, Wi-Fi HaLow operates in the sub-1 GHz band to enable extended range, power efficiency, and robust security. Key features and benefits include:

• Longer range: The sub-1 GHz narrowband signals of Wi-Fi HaLow propagate more than 10 times farther than 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi® signals – reaching up to 3 kilometers (km) – allowing it to cover over 100 times the area of conventional Wi-Fi.
• Power saving features: Wi-Fi HaLow allows the transfer of more bits per unit of energy than many other wireless IoT technologies. Wi-Fi HaLow also supports sleep and power management modes that enable multi-year battery operation for IoT devices with Restricted Access Window (RAW) and Target Wake Time (TWT).
• Multi-STA support: Wi-Fi HaLow distinguishes itself with the capacity to support 8,191 devices from a single access point (AP), far exceeding the network capacity of traditional Wi-Fi and other IoT protocols. This feature is crucial for the development of extensive multi-station (multi-STA) networks, where myriad IoT devices require seamless interconnectivity. It marks a significant step toward realizing dense, interconnected IoT ecosystems of the future.
• Lower path loss: Wi-Fi HaLow's use of sub-1 GHz frequencies inherently reduce path loss, ensuring greater signal penetration through barriers like walls, doors, and windows, resulting in greater coverage with fewer APs. This capability is pivotal for creating more accessible and reliable networks, particularly in environments where physical barriers traditionally impede connectivity.
• Spectral efficiency: In response to the growing issue of network congestion, Wi-Fi HaLow’s operation in the unlicensed sub-1 GHz band provides much-needed additional spectrum. By supporting orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) modulation in channel bandwidths down to 1 MHz, Wi-Fi HaLow significantly improves spectral efficiency compared to other IoT technologies operating in the sub-1 GHz bands. This is key for densely populated IoT environments facing bandwidth constraints.  

Wi-Fi HaLow in action

In January 2024, Morse Micro successfully conducted the world's first live two-way video call demonstration of Wi-Fi HaLow technology over a 3 km distance in San Francisco's Ocean Beach neighborhood. This field test not only set a new benchmark for long-distance Wi-Fi connectivity, but also highlighted Wi-Fi HaLow's potential to offer an alternative to other longer-range, low-power wireless solutions for IoT applications. Click the link below to view the demonstration.

As further proof of the technology’s capabilities, Morse Micro showcased Wi-Fi HaLow-enabled video cameras at the Wi-Fi Alliance Member Meeting in Singapore in February 2024. Using high-resolution cameras set up outside the hotel 60 meters away from the Wi-Fi HaLow AP, the demo proved the ability of sub-GHz Wi-Fi HaLow signals to penetrate multiple concrete walls, transmitting high-res video content to a 65-inch television. The Wi-Fi HaLow demonstration succeeded while network congestion made it impractical in traditional 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless bands.

The future of IoT connectivity

The rapid growth of IoT has highlighted the limitations of conventional Wi-Fi, particularly in terms of range and power efficiency. Wi-Fi HaLow addresses these issues head-on by operating on narrow frequency bands, allowing for improved penetration and performance in environments crowded with devices. Wi-Fi HaLow meets the requirements for long-range, low-power consumption, scalability, security, and robustness necessary for challenging IoT settings. Wi-Fi HaLow offers significantly extended range and coverage compared to traditional Wi-Fi, promising 10 times the range, 100 times the area coverage, and 1000 times the volume. Morse Micro is a leader in this technology with its MM6108 production silicon, certified by Wi-Fi Alliance and FCC, making it the market's most efficient Wi-Fi HaLow chip in terms of speed, size, power usage, and range.

Wi-Fi HaLow’s evolution marks a significant advancement in IoT technology, promising to enhance connectivity across a broad spectrum of applications. As Morse Micro leads the way in Wi-Fi HaLow’s development, we're committed to innovating and expanding the possibilities for IoT networks worldwide.

[1] IoT Analytics 2023

In today's episode, we're continuing our new series, CEO Insights, with Kevin Robinson, CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, and Tobin Richardson, President and CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance. Tobin shares an update on Matter's upward momentum, and we learn more about the newly released Matter 1.2 and the device types it supports. Kevin and Tobin discuss the considerations that led Wi-Fi and Thread to become the primary transports of Matter, and how the technology will help accelerate the adoption of IoT and expand functionality. Listen to the episode to learn more, including how Matter will impact energy management and commercial environments.

Matter 1.2 Arrives with Nine New Device Types & Improvements Across the Board: https://csa-iot.org/newsroom/matter-1-2-arrives-with-nine-new-device-types-improvements-across-the-board/
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7™: https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/wi-fi-certified-7
For Wi-Fi Alliance: www.wi-fi.org
For Membership Info: https://www.wi-fi.org/membership
General Contact: https://www.wi-fi.org/contact-us

In today's episode, we're welcoming Irvind Ghai, VP of Wi-Fi at Silicon Labs, back to The Signal. Irvind shares more about how Wi-Fi empowers IoT and tells us how Wi-Fi supports power optimization in IoT devices - an extremely important consideration for customers. We talk about how Matter over Wi-Fi allows IoT devices to coexist in smart homes, and we learn about how the protocol will impact industrial spaces and enterprises as well. Listen to this episode to learn more, including the new IoT applications Wi-Fi will enable in the near future.

For Wi-Fi Alliance: www.wi-fi.org
For Membership Info: https://www.wi-fi.org/membership
General Contact: https://www.wi-fi.org/contact-us

We're kicking off the new year by welcoming Chris LaPre, Head of Technology at Connectivity Standards Alliance, back to The Signal. Chris shares his insights on all things Matter over the past year and tells us which devices represent the biggest opportunity for the protocol. We discuss the different device types that will be added to future releases, and how connected devices can create significant energy savings in home and enterprise environments. Chris also tells us that there are 1,300+ Matter certifications over Wi-Fi and expects to see even more this year. Listen to this episode to learn more about Matter and predictions for CES 2024. 

White Paper – Matter Security and Privacy: https://csa-iot.org/developer-resource/white-paper-matter-security-and-privacy-copy/ 
For Wi-Fi Alliance: www.wi-fi.org   
For Membership Info: https://www.wi-fi.org/membership 
General Contact: https://www.wi-fi.org/contact-us  

Home Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the network of smart devices inside a private residence that connect to the Internet and each other but extend beyond traditional computing and entertainment products that use Wi-Fi®, such as computers, smartphones, TVs, and game consoles. Some common Home IoT devices include security cameras, lighting, and appliances. The key component of Home IoT is interoperability, as devices produced by different manufacturers need to work together in order to provide a great user experience. Wi-Fi is the natural connectivity choice for Home IoT systems because it is designed specifically for interoperability by adhering to IEEE standards. Wi-Fi also provides safe transference of personal data thanks to its robust WPA3™ security protocol.

Wi-Fi connectivity protocols enhance Internet of Things functionality

Core Wi-Fi certifications are based on IEEE connectivity standards, the latest of which is called Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6®. The key upgrades offered by Wi-Fi 6 over its predecessors include greater capacity, multi-gigabit data rates, better power efficiency, and high performance even in densely populated environments. Wi-Fi 6 also includes the Wi-Fi 6E certification, which extends connectivity into the 6 gigahertz (GHz) band, offering faster speeds using larger channel widths and bringing extra capacity to the Wi-Fi universe with relatively low interference and congestion. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® is also an essential ingredient for Matter certification, which further ensures device compatibility.

Wi-Fi 6 includes a number of features that have significant benefits for Home IoT, including:

• Target wake time (TWT) – Allows devices to “sleep” for long periods of time between connections to the network, extending battery life
• Multi-user multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) – Allows APs to connect to more IoT devices simultaneously
• Orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) – Shares channels to increase network efficiency and lower latency for both uplink and downlink traffic
• Beamforming – Allows better connections to devices in distant part of the home or garden
• BSS coloring – A method of identifying and managing overlaps between “basic service sets,” the term for a combination of an access point (AP) and at least one connected client device, reducing interference due to congestion and ensuring consistent service to multiple devices in a busy wireless environment

In addition to Wi-Fi 6, another important generational Wi-Fi technology is Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow™. This technology, specifically designed for the IoT marketplace, offers long range, low power connectivity by operating in the sub-1 GHz spectrum. This allows it to reach devices up to 1 kilometer (km) away from the AP, which is particularly useful for enterprises, agriculture settings, and smart cities.

In a Home IoT context, Wi-Fi HaLow’s ability to penetrate walls and other barriers better than 2.4 GHz technologies is an important consideration. Wi-Fi HaLow implements new sleep and management modes (using the same TWT protocol as Wi-Fi 6 above) to deliver energy-efficient, multi-year battery operation. This makes it suitable for connecting devices such as door locks, lighting, cameras, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) components. It can also link appliances to each other or to internet resources without running additional signaling wires. Home doorbells or multi-dwelling unit (MDU) access control systems can use Wi-Fi HaLow’s higher data rates to support real-time video and biometric authentication schemes. 

Home Internet of Things use cases multiply thanks to Wi-Fi

Home IoT captures a wide range of technologies that work together to support convenient living, provide security, and even monitor health. In general, Home IoT products are beginning to emerge with more screens and video capabilities. These require high bandwidth in order to provide real-time viewership and interactivity with low latency. Whole-home coverage is also necessary, as mobile Home IoT products that experience lapses in coverage will stop working immediately, unable to recover and move to a better connected area. Due to the variety of use cases and multitude of devices on a Home IoT network, it is imperative to use the latest Wi-Fi connectivity technology.

Home IoT use cases most relevant for Wi-Fi today and in the future include: 

• Home control and lighting – This includes products primarily related to heat, light, power, and cooling, including smart plugs, light bulbs, air conditioning, and window blinds. These devices often span the entire home and extend into the garden or yard, benefitting from the range offered by Wi-Fi 6
• Consumer electronics and appliances – These products include connected versions of standard consumer products, covering everything from robotic vacuum cleaners to ovens, fridges, garden sprinklers, and even pet feeding machines. These are purchased by homeowners and rental tenants and typically work on a standalone basis rather than being deeply integrated into home automation, although they will often connect to smartphone applications or a voice control platform
• Entertainment and smart speakers – Smart speakers and home entertainment are probably the most well known Home IoT use cases, including solutions such as Amazon’s Alexa. These devices rely on Wi-Fi for high-quality audio streaming and access to the cloud. Many vendors have added screens to their speaker devices, which act as terminals for video calls and video-entry doorbells. These screens use significant bandwidth, therefore high-performance Wi-Fi is a requirement 
• Security and access products – Compared to categories such as kitchen appliances, there is far greater need for security products to work together to protect the home from risks and threats. An alarm system may involve multiple cameras, door sensors, smoke alarms, and other products as well as the ability to link to remote cloud-based storage systems and connect to monitoring and alarm management services. This puts a premium on interoperability and WPA3 security
• Health and fitness – Health and fitness describes a group of products ranging from fitness bands and watches to connected telemedicine devices such as blood-pressure cuffs and eldercare alarms. There is a growing need for real-time connectivity to the cloud, two-way communications, instant analytics and feedback, and remote management. While many devices are standalone today, we can expect greater levels of coordination and correlation between products in the future, which will put a premium on interoperability and Wi-Fi certification

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED testing and certification is one of the most effective ways to optimize Home IoT device performance because IoT is so dependent on both Wi-Fi and interoperability. As these products become more and more sophisticated and incorporate features and applications that require higher bandwidth, it becomes increasingly important to access the benefits of the latest Wi-Fi certifications. When it comes to connectivity, reliability, and security, there is no standard more stringent yet easy to attain than Wi-Fi CERTIFIED.

For more information on Wi-Fi and Home IoT, please read the following papers:

Optimizing Home IoT with Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™

Leveraging Wi-Fi® for Home IoT use cases

In today's episode, we're joined by Kevin Daly, VP of Business Development at Morse Micro, and David Halasz, Director of Standards at Morse Micro, to discuss Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow™. We talk about how Wi-Fi HaLow™ empowers low power, low bandwidth IoT connections at the sub-1 GHz spectrum, and how it allows more efficient signal penetration. We talk about agricultural and mining use cases and learn about how the technology can provide great benefits over long distances in rural areas. Kevin and David also tell us about the types of devices that have seen recent adoption of Wi-Fi HaLow and we learn more about how the technology enables the improved battery life of connected cameras. Join us to learn more about how Wi-Fi HaLow enables secure, reliable connections.

The future of farming: Testing the rural range of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow™: https://www.wi-fi.org/beacon/neil-weste/the-future-of-farming-testing-the-rural-range-of-wi-fi-certified-halow

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow™: https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/wi-fi-certified-halow 

For Wi-Fi Alliance: www.wi-fi.org

For Membership Info: https://www.wi-fi.org/membership

General Contact: https://www.wi-fi.org/contact-us