New Wi-Fi Tech Tested At 9.9 Miles, Setting A New Record

Morse Micro has once again shattered expectations with HaLow Wi-Fi (802.11ah), setting a new world record by achieving a 9.9-mile (15.9 kilometers) range. Back in January, the company demonstrated HaLow’s potential with a 1.8-mile video call test in the high-interference environment of a San Francisco beach. Now, they’ve extended that record by almost five times, conducting successful tests in the rural Joshua Tree National Park.

In the San Francisco test, connection speeds ranged from 11 Megabits per second at 500 meters to 1 Megabit per second at the 1.8-mile range. In the new Joshua Tree test, throughput reached 2 Megabits per second over 9.9 miles. The rural environment’s low interference likely contributed to this impressive result, highlighting HaLow’s suitability for outdoor applications, such as farming, where cellular coverage is often lacking or too expensive.

Since HaLow Wi-Fi is intended for low-power, long-range communication, it might not be as helpful in cities with lots of Wi-Fi hotspots and cellular networks. On the other hand, its long range and low interference make it perfect for rural applications. The system maintained an astonishing range of two miles, well above the average reach of consumer routers, even in the highly interfered-with San Francisco test.

While HaLow may not replace existing urban Wi-Fi or cellular networks, its potential for outdoor and remote operations is significant. It offers an alternative to costly cellular data for large, open areas. Morse Micro’s continued development of HaLow could lead to faster speeds and wider adoption, particularly in public Wi-Fi hotspots or rural connectivity solutions.

This latest achievement further solidifies HaLow’s role in revolutionizing Wi-Fi’s reach, and future innovations could push the boundaries even further.