IEEE Publishes 802.11ah™-2016 Standard Amendment Extending Range and Improving Energy Efficiency in the Sub 1 GHz Band

Standard revision meets requirements for applications such as the
Internet of Things (IoT), smart grid, healthcare, smart appliances and
wearables

PISCATAWAY, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated
to advancing technology for humanity, and the IEEE
Standards Association (IEEE-SA), today announced the availability of
the IEEE 802.11ah™-2016 standard amendment, providing for an extended
range Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) in the sub 1 GHz band. IEEE
802.11ah-2016 significantly lowers propagation loss through free space,
walls and other obstructions, and offers a networking alternative to
augment the heavily congested 2.4 GHz band and the shorter-range 5 GHz
band used today.

IEEE 802.11ah-2016 defines a narrow-band orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing (OFDM) physical layer (PHY) operating in the license-exempt
bands below 1 GHz, making it suitable for several potential
applications, such as Internet of Things (IoT), smart grid, healthcare,
smart appliances and wearables.

“The publication of IEEE 802.11ah-2016 exemplifies how comprehensive
stakeholder engagement and participation can make step improvements to
standards that meet the needs of industry and improve the overall
end-user experience,” said Adrian Stephens, chair of the IEEE 802.11
Working Group. “IEEE 802.11ah-2016 sets the stage for advancing the
connected world with more efficient and robust networking options.”

The IEEE 802.11ah-2016 standard amendment offers multiple low rates
modes (starting from 150 kb/s) for extended range (up to 1 km outdoors)
and higher rate modes (up to 347 Mbps) for applications requiring higher
throughput. It supports outdoor deployment and can provide robust
performance in large delay spread environments. Low rate modes are
suitable for IoT applications, and provide whole-home coverage for
battery-operated, small form-factor devices, such as temperature and
moisture sensors. Higher rate modes support plug-in devices with a power
amplifier, such as video security cameras.

The IEEE 802.11ah-2016 standard amendment is optimized for long battery
life and serving an increased number of devices with a MAC layer that
enables increased scalability, higher power efficiency, and relay
operation (single hop or multi-hop).

More than 300 individuals from equipment and silicon suppliers, service
providers, systems integrators, consultant organizations and academic
institutions from more than 20 countries participated in the development
of IEEE 802.11ah-2016.

IEEE 802.11ah-2016 is available for purchase at the IEEE
Standards Store.

IEEE 802.11 defines the technology for the world’s premier WLAN
products. IEEE 802.11-based products are often branded as “Wi-Fi®” in
the market. IEEE 802.11 standards underpin wireless networking
applications around the world, such as wireless access to the Internet
from offices, homes, airports, hotels, restaurants, trains and aircraft.
IEEE 802.11’s relevance continues to expand with the emergence of new
applications, such as the smart grid, wireless docking and the “Internet
of Things.” For more information about the IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN
Working Group, please visit the working
group’s landing page.

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About the IEEE Standards Association
The IEEE Standards
Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body within IEEE,
develops consensus standards through an open process that engages
industry and brings together a broad stakeholder community. IEEE
standards set specifications and best practices based on current
scientific and technological knowledge. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of
over 1,200 active standards and over 650 standards under development.
For more information visit http://standards.ieee.org.

About IEEE
IEEE is the largest technical professional
organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of
humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology
standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the
trusted voice in a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems,
computers, and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric
power, and consumer electronics. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org.

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