Technology Interview with Dr. Daniel Martini (IMST) on Wi-Fi HaLow

Dr. Daniel Martini: Wi-Fi HaLow is still a young technology that fills the gap between traditional WLAN and LPWAN solutions like LoRaWAN or LTE-M. Its range is about one kilometre – much greater than conventional Wi-Fi but below typical cellular standards.

It’s not a direct replacement for other technologies but has the potential to open up new applications – for example in smart homes, smart cities, or automotive contexts. The IP compatibility and familiar Wi-Fi security standards make it especially attractive for bidirectional communication.

However, there are regulatory hurdles in Germany and Europe. Use of the 868 MHz band is heavily limited by bandwidth restrictions and duty-cycle rules. While the standard supports channel bandwidths up to 10 MHz, only four 1 MHz or at most two 2 MHz channels are permitted here. These restrictions could hamper widespread market adoption.

That’s a lengthy and complex process handled in Germany by the Federal Network Agency. It would be conceivable to reallocate unused frequency bands – for example from broadcasting. But at present, we’re not aware of any concrete initiatives.

This is mainly due to historical and regulatory reasons. Frequency allocation in Europe is highly regulated and subject to many stakeholder interests. Other regions allow for more flexibility, often driven by stronger political or industrial pressure from major market players. Here, it would take committed actors actively pushing the issue in the relevant bodies.

Not in our environment so far. Other LPWAN technologies like LoRaWAN, Mioty, or Wi-SUN currently dominate here. While first Wi-Fi HaLow chipsets are available, they are still quite expensive. The restrictions mentioned are holding back a breakthrough in Europe. Large volumes and concrete use cases could change that in the future – but for now, we don’t see strong demand.

Wi-Fi HaLow offers higher data rates, IP capability, and bidirectional communication. That makes it suitable for applications where not only sensor data is collected but also actuators are controlled – such as in smart homes, agricultural technology, or for video transmissions.

In classic sensor networks or metering, where long range at low data rates is crucial, established LPWANs like LoRaWAN have clear advantages. HaLow doesn’t close that gap but rather complements existing solutions – especially where range, data rate, and IP compatibility are needed simultaneously.

For simple sensor networks, Wi-Fi HaLow is less suitable from our perspective. There, technologies with longer range and lower data rates dominate. HaLow is more of an extension in the space between Bluetooth LE and traditional Wi-Fi.

Unlikely. Other standards such as LoRaWAN, Mioty, or Wireless M-Bus/OMS are already well established in the smart metering sector. HaLow doesn’t currently offer a decisive advantage there.

We primarily see ourselves as a development and engineering partner. While we do offer individual radio modules and evaluation boards, our focus is on custom solutions: we support everything from concept development to antenna design and RF engineering, right through to integration into existing systems. If needed, we also evaluate Wi-Fi HaLow – depending on customer requirements.

Our projects are extremely varied. We typically get involved when standard solutions no longer suffice. The range spans from simple radio modules for smoke detectors to complex phased-array systems for satellite communications – from a few megahertz up to over 140 GHz.

Many customers come to IMST for specialised development work with a prototype character or feasibility studies – including customised radar systems, bespoke radio solutions, or special systems for toll and traffic technology. Our strength lies in delivering all components – from antenna design to application software – from a single source.