Wi-Fi HaLow is developed to connect a large number of IoT products such as smart speakers, smart air-conditioners, and other industrial smart devices over a range of 1km from the access point. The technology has received certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance, the global organisation that certifies Wi-Fi-focused companies.
Interestingly, the Wi-Fi HaLow works with the current Wi-Fi protocols and can connect to existing smart devices. This new technology is being said to significantly improve the current Wi-Fi setup as it does not require new infrastructure.
How does it work?
In case you are wondering how the technology works, you should first note that it consumes less power than existing Wi-Fi networks. In terms of bandwidth, the Wi-Fi HaLow has been developed to work in the sub-1 GHz spectrum as opposed to the 2.4GHz to 5GHz standard Wi-Fi connections we use.
The low frequency of the Wi-Fi HaLow enables a longer wavelength, which allows it to transmit data over longer distances. But to achieve this, it compromises the data speeds, making it suitable for IoT products that require less data to operate.
Applications of Wi-Fi HaLow
The Wi-Fi HaLow can be used for various applications, such as connecting smart devices across homes and industries. It can also be used to connect and control products in smart cities, such as traffic signals, traffic monitors and others. It can also be used to connect sensors across large agricultural areas.
In terms of applications, the new Wi-Fi technology brings numerous benefits, however, this is not a replacement for the traditional Wi-Fi frequency that is used to transfer large amounts of data in a short span of time.
For now, we do not have any words on when this technology would be available commercially, but with its unending benefits, it could be around the corner.
The number of smart devices across homes and industries is increasing with the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) and this has led to the need for connecting more devices to Wi-Fi across a larger area. To fulfil this requirement, a new Wi-Fi technology called Wi-Fi HaLow has been developed which is claimed to provide a range of up to 1km.
A team of researchers at Lancaster University have created a new type of WiFi that transmits data wirelessly using nuclear radiation.
The engineers transferred data using “fast neutrons” from a radioactive isotope called californium-252, according to a press release from the university. Information such as words and randomly generated numbers were encoded into the neutron field and successfully transmitted to a laptop, where it was then decoded.
A paper of the study has been published in the journal Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. While radioactive WiFi sounds more like a satirical technology in a “Fallout” game, researchers believe that there are plenty of potential real-life applications of it.
“We demonstrate the potential of fast neutron radiation as a medium for wireless communications for applications where conventional electromagnetic transmission is either not feasible or is inherently limited,” Professor Malcolm Joyce, lead author of the study, said in the press release.
Safety-Critical Scenarios
Joyce added that fast neutrons can provide reliable data transmissions in “safety-critical scenarios” where you can’t easily create structures and pathways for Internet cabling such as submarine bulkheads, vaults, and reactor contaminants. In these cases, he said, the neutrons would still be able to transmit information and “negate the need for such penetrations.”
So yeah. As cool as it sounds, you’re not likely going to see radioactive WiFi available commercially — which is probably for the best to avoid any “Chernobyl”-esque body horror scenarios while browsing Twitter