The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), the global WiFi standards industry body, has completed phase two of the field trials of IEEE 802.11ah WiFi HaLow, which promises reliable, long-range, low-power IoT connectivity.
“The trials have proven the scalability and efficiency of WiFi HaLow in challenging environments such as dense urban settings and large industrial complexes,” WBA said. “A range of benefits have been proven in each of the use cases outlined below including extended ranges, improved material penetration capabilities, and extended battery life.” Other benefits of WiFi HaLow include enhanced device density, a higher level of security, ease of installation and management, and elevated data throughput in IoT scenarios. Continue Reading
The phase two field trial use cases included smart home, warehousing, smart farm, smart city, smart office building, smart school campus and smart industrial complex.
For example, the WiFi HaLow deployment trial at a large industrial complex in Tampa, FL, achieved high data throughput rates, with peak speeds of 21.3 Mbps and reliable connectivity extending up to 425 feet in high-density areas. This demonstration highlighted WiFi HaLow’s capability to support critical industrial applications such as real-time asset tracking and extensive video surveillance, proving its effectiveness in complex RF environments typical of large-scale industrial settings.
WiFi HaLow provided wireless connectivity across complex industrial environments in a trial at a 110,000 sq ft warehouse near Chicago. The technology achieved connectivity up to 1,500 feet with a single access point, delivering data rates from 1 Mbps in peripheral zones to 22 Mbps in central areas. It supported high-definition video streaming and basic sensor communications, among other applications. In a trial at a farm in Kent, OH, the technology supported a multi-camera security system and facilitated connectivity for 24 IoT devices simulating typical farm sensors and actuators.
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