Wi-Fi connectivity works using radio waves and different bands are used to exchange information. The most used bands with the 2.4GHzwhose main virtue is to offer a wide range of range, the band of 5GHz which stands out for greater speed with less range than 2.4 GHz and the 6GHz which offers little range and higher speed than the 5 GHz band.
Since its launch, the Wi-Fi standard has been identified based on the nomenclature IEEE 802.11 accompanied by a letter which may be: A, b, g, n, That, ax Yes be. But there is also a lesser known and used version which uses the letters oh.
What is HaLow Wi-Fi
The standard IEEE 802.11ahalso called the Wi-Fi HaLow or HaLow standard, officially arrived on the market in 2017, it is an evolution of the IEEE 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 6) standard which was launched in 2014 and whose evolution was IEEE 802.11 ax launched in 2019, better known as Wi-Fi 6E.
Wi-Fi HaLow works below the 1 GHz bandspecifically in the 900 MHz band and was initially designed to provide a connectivity solution for home automation devices that do not need high bandwidth and, in addition, have very low power consumption and do not have no problem crossing walls or any other type of obstacle without losing power and speed.
What is it for?
However, the evolution of this standard has followed a completely different path than initially planned since very few manufacturers do not offer support for this standard. Router manufacturers only support the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. This makes it virtually impossible to find a router that works with bands below 1 GHz.
Although according to the specifications of the Wi-Fi Alliance it is compatible with the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, this is not always the case since it depends on the manufacturer of the router and/or the device that supports it. integrated. This lack of compatibility is also found in any smartphone, tablet or even PCIe card for computer.
Fortunately, this in no way means that it has fallen into disuse. Currently, Wi-Fi HaLow is used in the rural area mainly because it has a much greater range than the 2.4 GHz band.
In addition, by working on a little used band, they do not have other signals to manage, therefore, in the different tests that have been carried out, this can reach up to 16km of range in open areas and without architectural obstacles that could weaken the signal, but with natural elements such as stones and trees.
This test was carried out in the Joshua Tree National Park in the United States, achieving a maximum transmission speed of 2 Mbps, the same speed used by the first 802.11 standard when it was launched in 1997 and known as Wi-Fi 1.
