Wi-Fi innovations are broadening the appeal and lifespan of this go-to technology

Wi-Fi continues to be used to connect offices, homes, factories and campuses, and is reinvigorating thanks to recent innovations that improve performance and coverage. The technology, thanks to developments such as Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi HaLow, is now applicable to more use cases than ever before and even more firmly embedded as a go-to technology. In IoT, Wi-Fi’s value has long been established and now plays a crucial role in connecting IoT applications that do not require long-distance mobility provided by cellular or LPWA technologies.

Free from licensing constraints, the technology supports private networks across factories, homes and offices and provides an attractive form of connectivity to build IoT applications. This was explained in a recent Quectel Masterclass ‘Developing applications for standalone Wi-Fi modules’. This focused on the essentials for the developers creating applications for standalone Wi-Fi modules.

The Masterclass, presented by Lazaros Kapsias, a Product Manager for EMEA at Quectel, showcased the company’s standalone module portfolio, linking it to vertical market use cases. In addition, the capabilities of the QuecOpen platform were explained in relation to simplified and accelerated application development. Kapsias also shared best practices for performance optimization and integration with other systems and demonstrated key techniques for developing application for Wi-Fi modules.

Wi-Fi innovations enable new IoT applications

In addition to enabling developer efficiency, Quectel has also been quick to bring to market solutions for Wi-Fi HaLow. This has the potential to enable long-range Wi-Fi applications for IoT. HaLow operates in the license exempt sub-1GHz frequency range and allows users to connect devices over a radius of 1km. That’s ten times greater in range than traditional Wi-Fi, which therefore opens up a wide range of new application areas.

These include indoor and outdoor IoT scenarios such as home and industrial automation, smart agriculture, smart buildings, warehouses, retail stores and campuses. There is strong potential for the technology to transform IoT and this was explored in detail in a recent Quectel Masterclass ‘Wi-Fi HaLow: Long-range Wi-Fi for the IoT’. The Masterclass explains some of the common issues and opportunities associated with Wi-Fi innovations and introduces Quectel’s FGH100M Wi-Fi HaLow module, based on Morse Micro’s MM6108 Wi-Fi HaLow system-on-chip.

Presented by Kevin Daly, the Vice President of Business Development at Morse Micro, the Masterclass details the common challenges wireless IoT connectivity faces, how HaLow can help solve these and the areas in which HaLow’s advantages can be harnessed to deliver real business value. Quectel’s Wi-Fi HaLow product, the FGH100M is also explained in greater detail in the session.

From these Masterclasses, it is clear that Wi-Fi, far from standing still, has brought new innovations to the forefront, widening its appeal and cementing its status for another generation. For many IoT applications, the various flavors of Wi-Fi, and their blend of cost efficiency, license exemption, security and throughput present an ideal combination for sustained success.