About IEEE 802.11ah

The connected-device future demands for an efficient power saving and easy to handle radio technology operating outside of the crowded 2.4 GHz band. The WiFi alliance, the organization that dictates and develops Wi-Fi standards, has announced a new member of the IEEE 802.11 specifications‘ family, IEEE 802.11ah called WiFi HaLow™.

WiFi HaLow is operating in the 900 MHz and primarily designated for low data payloads as required for the home/building automation, Internet-enabled coffee-makers and wearables, i.e. the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine communication (M2M). 

Contrasting with existing technologies as Bluetooth®, ZigBee® and Z-Wave™, WiFi HaLow connects devices directly to the Internet, not just to another device.

HaLow operating in the 900 MHz band is doing a better job of penetrating walls, floors, and other obstacles in contrast to the 2.4 GHz band Bluetooth. Wi-Fi HaLow’s range is nearly twice that of today’s Wi-Fi, and will not only be capable of transmitting signals further, but also providing a more robust connection - of course with lower speed.

Our Services

EMCC’s will be happy to serve companies developing products using this new technologies in several ways.

EMCCons DR. RAŠEK laboratories provide accredited testing to European, US and Canadian radio standards, as well as testing to Japanese specifications. 

  • JAPAN: Japan Radio Law, Article 2, Clause 1, Item 8 applies.
  • EUROPE: IEEE 802.11ah devices operating in the 863 - 868 MHz must be tested to
    • ETSI EN 300 220-1/ -2 Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters (ERM); Short Range Devices (SRD); Radio equipment to be used in the 25 MHz to 1 000 MHz frequency range with power levels ranging up to 500 mW (Article 3(2) – Radio spectrum),
    • ETSI EN 301 489-1 /-3  Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters (ERM); ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) standard for radio equipment and services; Part 3: Specific conditions for Short-Range Devices (SRD) operating on frequencies between 9 kHz and 246 GHz (Article 3(1)(b) – EMC),
    • EN 60950-1 Information technology equipment – Safety – Part 1: General requirements or EN 62368-1 Audio/video, information and communication technology equipment – Part 1: Safety requirements (Article 3(1)(a) – Safety)
    • EN 62479 Assessment of the compliance of low power electronic and electrical equipment with the basic restrictions related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields (10 MHz to 300 GHz) (Article 3(1)(a) – Health / Human Exposure).

Products and market

  • Smart wearables: smart glasses, smart watches, health and fitness trackers, infotainment, even embedded into smart clothing
  • Smart home / Building automation: control of lighting, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), appliances, communication systems, entertainment and home security devices
  • Smart city / infrastructure management: smart traffic control, smart parking, monitoring of bridges and railway tracks
  • Smart environment: sensing & monitoring of air and water quality, atmospheric conditions, wireless sensing of earthquake or tsunami warning systems
  • Smart enterprise: fleet management, intelligent shopping systems, smart grid, smart WiFi for healthcare, WiFi for Hospitality

More questions? We will gladly help you!