Wi-Fi HaLow (pronounced “HEY-Low”) is an IEEE 802.11ah wireless networking protocol. It was released in 2017 as an update to the IEEE 802.11-2007 wireless networking standard. It uses 900 MHz, license-exempt bands, to provide extended range Wi-Fi networks, as opposed to standard Wi-Fi networks running in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Also consumes fewer resources, allowing for the creation of large groups of stations or sensors that interact to share signals, facilitating the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT). The protocol’s low power consumption competes with Bluetooth while also offering higher data rates and coverage.

Wi-Fi HaLow is not only the next generation of Wi-Fi, with improved battery life and longer range for Wi-Fi-enabled users, but it also represents an exciting future of wirelessly connected people and devices in the Internet of Things. Home automation, appliances, and thermostats are only a few of the applications available, which include sensors, actuators, and security cameras to improve user experience and performance while lowering installation and running costs.

The IEEE 802.11ah task force recently standardized Wi-Fi HaLow technology, moreover the Wi-Fi Alliance gave it a name (WFA). It operates in the unlicensed sub-1 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band and can transmit data at rates ranging from hundreds of kbits per second to tens of megabits per second over distances ranging from a few metres to more than a kilometre. Wi-Fi HaLow unquestionably meets the scalability, dependability, and security criteria of the most challenging IoT environments.

Although traditional Wi-Fi is still the most commonly used wireless networking protocol today, the Internet of Things’ rapid growth has prompted a rethinking of Wi-Fi, revealing technological shortcomings and deciding what role it will play in an all-encompassing connected world. The increasing demand for long-distance connectivity and low power for many IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) applications is propelling Wi-Fi HaLow forward at a rapid pace this year and in the coming years.

Wi-Fi HaLow vs. Traditional Wi-Fi

Traditional Wi-Fi helps users to conveniently download movies and upload files through a wide spectrum of radio frequencies, including 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and, in the near future, 6GHz. Aside from that, these links have a limited effective distance and easily drain batteries, necessitating daily charging or a power link. Wi-Fi 6 is also the perfect option for bandwidth-intensive applications like 4K video streaming and virtual reality.

Wi-Fi HaLow expands on the security and spectral efficiency of OFDM by employing narrower channels of radio frequencies below 1 GHz to better penetrate materials, allowing communications to reach up to 10 times deeper, 100 times the area, and 1000 times the volume of traditional Wi-Fi. Since it supports over 8,000 strong connections from a single access point and features new power-saving sleep modes, Wi-Fi HaLow is suitable for IoT users. Wi-Fi HaLow enables a new class of products that can run on batteries for years while still delivering hundreds of megabits per second of data throughput.

Traditional Wi-Fi network congestion, distance restrictions, and higher power usage, as well as the limited number of devices that can be linked to a single wireless access point, are no longer feasible in a connected world of smart devices. Such constraints stymie new IoT-centric business models, which call for increased capacity, range, and battery operation while lowering deployment costs and timelines, all of which are desirable characteristics.

Wi-Fi HaLow Data rates

Data rates of up to 347 Mbit/s can be achieved by using only four spatial streams on a single 16 MHz-wide channel. The standard specifies various modulation schemes and coding frequencies, which are represented by an index value of #Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS). The table below depicts the relationships between the variables that allow for the optimal data rate. Guard Interval (GI): The amount of time that passes between symbols.

A 2 MHz channel has an FFT of 64, with 56 OFDM subcarriers, 52 for data and 4 for pilot tones, and a carrier separation of 31.25 kHz (2 MHz/64) (32 seconds). Each of these subcarriers may use a BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, or 256-QAM subcarrier. The total bandwidth is 2 MHz, with a 1.78MHz occupied bandwidth. The total length of the symbol is 36 or 40 microseconds, including a guard interval of 4 or 8 microseconds.

Wi-Fi HaLow Products

IP

The following organizations sell 802.11ah compatible IP components:

• Adapt-IP 
• IMEbC
• Methods2Business

Chipset

Below a list of companies that are part of Wi-Fi alliance and are publicly developing Wi-Fi HaLow chipsets:

• Adapt-IP 
• Morse Micro
• Newratek / Newracom (EVK is available)
• Palma Ceia SemiDesign
• Huge-IC(A fabless IC design company in China)

Embedded Module

Silex Technology launched an 802.11ah module for IoT, the SX-NEWAH

Commercial Products comply to 802.11Ah

ZOSI C302 8 channel Security Kit (Huge-IC TXW8301 inside)

IEEE 802.11ah Wi-Fi Standard-based Approach for IOT

Wi-Fi HaLow enhances the wireless Local Area Network (LAN) to meet the most stringent IoT system specifications. It is sandwiched between the ultra-low-power, ultra-low-throughput, and lower-energy-efficient LoRa and Sigfox Wide Area Networks (WANs), the lower-throughput, shorter-range Personal Area Networks (PANs) such as Bluetooth/BT5, and the more power-hungry LTE Cat-M / Narrowband-IoT cellular networks that come with data plans.

While technological gaps previously necessitated suboptimal proprietary solutions to satisfy customer demand, the IEEE 802.11 standards now resolve these gaps: System integrators will use the same hardware and software assets developed for traditional Wi-Fi radios, as well as the Wi-Fi Alliance’s interoperability testing and certification programs. Users are no longer concerned with range, throughput, power consumption, network capacity, complex mesh network configurations, or monthly subscription contracts. As part of the IEEE 802.11 enterprise-grade security standards, Wi-Fi HaLow supports the latest WPA3 security protocol, as well as encrypted messages and special ID technologies for secure boot implementation. High data rates support the UDP and TCP/IP protocols, enabling secure over-the-air firmware updates. Because of native IP support, no bridges or gateways are needed.

Wi-Fi HaLow Use Cases

In its early stages of deployment, Wi-Fi HaLow is intended to be used in both indoor and outdoor applications where standard Wi-Fi cannot reach, such as battery-powered monitoring systems, wireless cameras, and doorbells. Another common application is in large venues, where a single HaLow access point may replace a large number of APs, removing redundant, complex mesh architectures, simplifying installation, and lowering total cost of ownership. Many industries, including industrial automation, process control sensors, building automation, warehouses, and retail stores, would need this technology to keep everything connected in an increasingly automated world.

Wi-Fi HaLow is well-known for its adaptability.
This technology has many potential applications, including the following:

·       Smart homes

·       Surveillance systems

·       Access control

·       Industrial process control

·       Logistics and asset management

·       Retail labels, signs and scanners

·       Building automation

·       Mobile devices

·       Smart cities

·       Agriculture and environmental sensors

Wi-Fi HaLow devices will provide new unlicensed band options that support IP networking as well as the well-known OFDM modulation used in the PC ecosystem. As a result of the emergence of a fourth band, there is increasing support for the prediction that Wi-Fi HaLow will, in the long run, extend the range of mobile devices and PCs.