Many challenges are still in the way of the connected-device future planned by engineers. Among them is the Wi-Fi limitation in efficiently connecting devices. For this reasons high-tech companies made the plan to fix Wi-Fi connectivity with a new generation of technology.
The Wi-Fi Alliance was created in order to advance the next Wi-Fi standards, according to Extreme Tech. The organization just announced the latest developments in connectivity technology, called HaLow. This new Wi-Fi standard promises to double the range of present wireless connections, which stand at 2.4GHz. The next gen HaLow Wi-Fi will also do a better job of penetrating floors, walls, and other obstacles that are a challenge for the present wireless technology.
The HaLow standard of the near future will connect smart home and smart cars devices as well as other wearables such as smartwatches, Google Glasses, internet-enabled coffee makers and smart refrigerators, according to Silicon Angle.
The next generation Wi-Fi manages to improve range and deftness by setting its operational frequency in the 900MHz band. This spectrum is better suited for low-power devices and small data payloads characteristics on the internet of things (IoT). The devices operating on the present 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands are battery straining.
According to Wired, Kevin Robinson, Wi-Fi Alliance vice-president of marketing, declared that "Wi-Fi HaLow will deliver power-efficient connectivity to the home access point (and the Internet)" for various devices connected on IoT such as water sensors or motion detectors. The next generation Wi-Fi standard will allow efficient connections despite the range involved, the challenging environment and any possible "obstructions in the device's path."
Some users might still wonder why we'd still need such a thing, when today such performances are already allowed by Bluetooth. However, Bluetooth technology has its own limitations, among them the most important being that Bluetooth connects devices to other devices, while Wi-Fi connects devices directly to the Internet. This is a critical aspect as wearables strive to become truly functional and independent.
