Open standard will enable IoT connectivity over ISM bands
1 min read
A new open standard for the Internet of Things (IoT), designed to bridge the gap between connectivity over the TV white space spectrum and other bands, has been launched by the Weightless SIG.
Weightless-N offers the first global open Weightless standard for IoT connectivity over ISM bands. It will typically be deployed in unlicensed spectrum in the region 800-900MHz such as the 868MHz band in Europe and the 900MHz ISM band in the US.
Professor William Webb, CEO of the Weightless SIG, said: "Enabling the vision of 50billion connected devices requires chipset costs below $2, battery life of 10 years or more and a range of 5km or more to ensure ubiquitous coverage from a low cost network.
"The current Weightless standard delivers on this promise using the TV white space spectrum and provides a feature rich solution, but is subject to regional licensing limitations. Weightless-N aligns with Weightless values and offers geographical ubiquity, right now."
The two variants of the standard, Weightless-W and Weightless-N, will co-exist with each other, offering benefits to developers and users according to their specific needs.
Weightless SIG is inviting companies that currently have proprietary solutions in this space to engage and adapt these to comply with the new standard.
Trials are due to begin in 2015.
