By James Blackman July 11, 2024
Collected at: https://www.rcrwireless.com/20240711/fundamentals/seven-cases-and-places-where-wi-fi-halow-works-well-or-iot
The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) has claimed triumphant IoT trials of new Wi-Fi HaLow technology in different enterprise venues. Its ‘phase-two’ tests of the technology, listed as 802.11ah in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) family of IEEE 802 standards of local, personal and metro-area networks (LANs, PANs, MANs), follows white-paper research in January that set out six target venues for it to stand-up low-power IoT cases as a rival to the likes of short-range Bluetooth and Zigbee and long-range NB-IoT and LoRaWAN, plus MIOTY, Sigfox, and all the rest. WBA has now gone into the field to test its theories, and found them to be correct, it said.
As such, this article should be viewed as a companion piece (and a copy to an extent) of a previous entry about six verticals for Wi-Fi HaLow. It adds a seventh, numerically; in fact it loses one from the original white-paper summary (retail shops), and adds two (warehouses and schools). It is also likely WBA would stand by them all. But the new field trials, which took place in North America, puts proof points against its previous hypotheses; the attendant WBA report on the work, available here, also lists “actionable insights” for businesses, network planners, and operators. The trials were conducted by WiFi HaLow champions Morse Micro, Newracom, and Methods2Business.
AT&T, Charter Communications, Nextcomm Systems, and Qualcomm were also involved – in “larger-scale implementations… in more challenging environments”. Wi-Fi HaLow uses sub-GHz spectrum frequencies in global ISM bands, between 850 MHz and 950 MHz. These offer advantages over the unlicensed 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, where Wi-Fi traditionally plays, insofar as the spectrum is less congested and lower frequency, improving reliability, propagation, and coverage. As a consequence, Wi-Fi HaLow makes Wi-Fi viable for lower-power wider-area IoT cases. Its followers claim it offers a 10-times advance in terms of range, compared with conventional Wi-Fi.
WBA has invited industry players to take part in phase-three trials in the EMEA and APAC regions. Tiago Rodrigues, chief executive at WBA, said: “Each of these real-world field trials has been a huge success demonstrating the readiness and the benefits Wi-Fi HaLow standard can bring to a vast range of industries and use cases, improving performance and reducing complexity. We now move to the next phase, and are inviting industry players interested in participating in trials across EMEA and APAC to reach out. Your participation can help shape the future of IoT connectivity and drive innovation across various sectors.”
A summary of each use case and its results is included below, quoting WBA in full; the combination of metric and imperial measures is straight out of the original text.
1 | HOUSE
“In Denver, Colorado, CableLabs’ Kyrio conducted a trial demonstrating Wi-Fi HaLow’s capabilities within a 5,000 square-foot home and across a three-acre lot. [It worked with] Methods2Business, Morse Micro, and Newracom. The trial successfully utilised a single access point to deliver robust and secure Wi-Fi coverage throughout the property, eliminating the need for additional repeaters. Over 140 indoor locations were tested, achieving data throughputs exceeding 8 Mbps in high-demand areas and over 2 Mbps in typical usage scenarios. The system efficiently managed 23 simultaneous device connections at MCS7 PHY rates (32 Mbps), and extended its range over 430 metres, showcasing potential for neighbourhood-wide connectivity. Additionally, the trial highlighted efficient network utilisation with OTA firmware updates completing in just 30 seconds for a 25 MB file at approximately 20 Mbps, affirming Wi-Fi HaLow’s suitability as a scalable solution for smart homes and residential networking applications.”
2 | WAREHOUSE
“At a 110,000 square-foot warehouse near Chicago, Wi-Fi HaLow demonstrated its effectiveness in providing robust wireless connectivity across complex industrial environments. The technology achieved extensive coverage with a single access point, delivering varying data rates from 1 Mbps in peripheral zones to 22 Mbps in central areas – thereby supporting a wide range of operational needs from high-definition video streaming to basic sensor comms. The system handled high throughput demands and supported numerous device types seamlessly, proving its versatility and reliability. Notably, [it] managed outdoor connectivity up to 1,500 feet with strong signal strength, essential for logistics and fleet management. Redundancy tests further underscored [its] reliability, with devices swiftly reassociating to alternative access points, ensuring operational continuity. The trial underscored Wi-Fi HaLow’s potential as a scalable, efficient solution for modernising warehouse operations”.
3 | FARM
“In a trial at Scott Farm Market and Greenhouse in Kent, Ohio, [managed] by Newracom and Morse Micro, Wi-Fi HaLow technology demonstrated impressive coverage and performance over a 14-acre agricultural site, addressing challenges such as extensive area coverage and penetration through various structures. The setup included a single Wi-Fi HaLow access point and multiple IoT devices, achieving data rates from 1.3 Mbps at the most challenging points to 22 Mbps near the access point. [It] effectively supported a multi-camera security system, maintaining consistent video streaming across various locations and resolutions, and facilitated robust connectivity for 24 IoT devices simulating typical farm sensors and actuators. The trial underscored Wi-Fi HaLow’s potential to provide reliable, expansive connectivity for smart farming applications with minimal infrastructure.”
4 | CITY
“In a smart city trial in Irvine, California, Wi-Fi HaLow demonstrated its potential for extensive urban connectivity. Utilising equipment from Newracom, Morse Micro, and Methods2Business, the technology achieved coverage over a one kilometre radius and up to 1.5 miles along Irvine Center Drive. The trial showed strong signal strength capable of supporting high modulation and coding schemes (MCS) with PHY rates up to 3.34 Mbps. Even in areas with lower signal strength, connectivity remained robust, facilitating smart city applications such as safety monitoring and asset tracking across diverse urban landscapes including retail plazas and business parks.”
5 | OFFICE
“A trial… at the Newracom Office Park in Irvine, California, demonstrated [Wi-Fi HaLow’s] effective deployment for smart building services with minimal infrastructure enhancements. Morse Micro and Methods2Business provided… access points and station evaluation kits. This setup enabled Wi-Fi HaLow to offer extensive and reliable coverage across multiple floors and diverse building materials, efficiently overcoming challenges like metal thermal energy-blocking films on glass. The trial emphasised Wi-Fi HaLow’s utility in supporting a variety of services, including HVAC, energy management, and security systems, with significant signal penetration and adaptable coverage. Different bandwidth tests also showed the system’s flexibility to meet varying operational demands, affirming Wi-Fi HaLow as an ideal solution for contemporary smart building ecosystems.”
6 | SCHOOL
“In a trial at Red Hill Lutheran School, [conducted by] Newracom, Morse Micro, and Methods2Business, Wi-Fi HaLow [showed] exceptional network performance across a five-acre campus encompassing multiple buildings. Despite challenges from thick concrete walls and audio equipment interference, Wi-Fi HaLow provided extensive indoor and outdoor coverage, managed interference without adjacent channel disruptions, and supported the potential to scale up to 32,764 IoT devices efficiently. These results underline Wi-Fi HaLow’s capabilities as a cost-effective and robust network solution for educational settings, highlighting its advantages over traditional Wi-Fi systems with fewer infrastructural demands.”
7 | FACTORY
A trial at a large industrial complex in Tampa, Florida, showcased robust and extensive wireless coverage across both indoor and outdoor environments, overcoming the challenges posed by heavy machinery and metal structures. The trial, conducted by Morse Micro, Nexcomm Systems, and Newracom, achieved high data throughput rates, with user datagram protocol (UDP) traffic peaking at 21.3 Mbps and reliable connectivity extending up to 425 feet in high-density areas. This demonstration highlighted Wi-Fi 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.”
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