Morse Micro says its SoC allows WiFi HaLow signals to travel 3km. (Image Credit: Morse Micro)
HaLow WiFi has been around since 2017, and Morse Micro improved the tech’s coverage. With its IEEE 802.1 1ah standard, the WiFi HaLow can reach up to 1.8 miles. The company tested this technology with a long-range video call in San Francisco’s Ocean Beach neighborhood, demonstrating the signals can travel long distances, even in challenging environments. Overall, this has 10x the range, 100x coverage area, and 1000x the volume of standard WiFi.
Morse Micro’s HaLow SoC, which can be used with IoT devices for wireless connectivity, allows the protocol to achieve the 3km range. It works in the sub-GHz spectrum (850-950 MHz), so it can pass through obstacles and noisy environments that have multiple connected devices and cameras. Additionally, WiFi HaLow consumes low power, making the battery last longer. During tests, the speed decreased from 17 MBPS (at 250m) to 1 MBPS after reaching 3km.
“Our successful demo of Wi-Fi HaLow video call across three kilometers in a difficult, real-world urban environment is a major milestone for Wi-Fi connectivity, showcasing the wireless protocol’s incredible reach,” said Michael De Nil, co-founder and CEO of Morse Micro. “Wi-Fi HaLow is a transformative technology that shatters the boundaries of today’s wireless connectivity. With its unparalleled range, exceptional low power consumption and superior throughput, Wi-Fi HaLow stands as the frontrunner in the IoT landscape. This is the future wireless connectivity, and it’s here today powered by Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow technology.”
Other solutions are competing with WiFi HaLow, including LoRa/LoraWAN, offering wide-range, low-power, low-cost wireless capabilities that have high performance over rough terrain. NarrowBand-Internet of Things (NB-IoT) also competes with HaLow, providing low bandwidth communication.
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