wi-fi: Wi-Fi HaLow may come soon: Key details and what it means for you – Times of India

The word smart is almost everywhere now. Your phone is smart and so is your watch. Homes are getting smarter, cities are ‘aspiring’ to be smarter and so on. At the heart of all things smart, lies the good old Wi-Fi technology. However, a report by Business Insider reveals that a new Wi-Fi tech is being developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance, the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi. The new tech is called Wi-Fi HaLow and here we tell you all the details about it.

What is the new Wi-Fi tech?

Called Wi-Fi HaLow, the technology has been developed with a greater focus on Internet of Things (IoT). Wi-Fi HaLow is aimed at enabling use cases in industrial, agricultural, smart building, and smart city environments.

How is Wi-Fi HaLow different from existing Wi-Fi?

The Wi-Fi Alliance claims that Wi-Fi HaLow adopts a “more comprehensive approach to wireless connectivity.” For starters, it has more range — about 1KM — and claims to provide a more robust connection in “challenging environments where the ability to penetrate walls or other barriers is an important consideration”. It is also claimed to deliver low power, high performance, and more secure Wi-Fi for IoT-enabled devices.

How will the new Wi-Fi tech work?

The existing Wi-Fi technology works on 2.4Ghz to 5Ghz spectrum in terms of bandwidth. The Wi-Fi HaLow, on the other hand, has been developed to work less than 1Ghz spectrum, which means it will consume less power. Further, the low frequency also allows Wi-Fi HaLow to transmit data over long distances.

How fast will Wi-Fi HaLow be?

The data speed is expected to be less as the spectrum is also less. However, IoT devices and products don’t really require ultra-fast Wi-Fi speed and can work fine with less data as well.

When can you expect Wi-Fi HaLow to land?

As of now, there’s no clear launch timeline of Wi-Fi HaLow. Wi-Fi Alliance had said earlier this year that it expects to begin device certification in Q4 of 2021, which means that sometime next year the technology may just be available for use.