- At CES 2025, Morse Micro presented a working demo of a HaLow router that can deliver data at up to 250 Mbps in a 10-mile radius
- TechRadar first covered HaLow back in 2016, but the technology is only just maturing
- HaLow’s long range without the need for a repeater could be attractive for commercial setups
The future of Wi-Fi technology may have taken a giant leap forward at CES 2025 with the debut of Wi-Fi HaLow routers from Morse Micro.
Its new prototype (via Yanko Design) boasts a range of 10 miles, potentially making a home Wi-Fi network accessible locally.
Unlike conventional routers that can struggle to penetrate walls when operating at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, HaLow’s sub-GHz frequency waves travel through obstacles and offer reliable connectivity over a distance.
HaLow’s roots: From concept to reality
Designed to operate on the 900MHz band, HaLow was created for low-power, long-range connectivity. Potential use cases include industrial setups as well as connectivity to Internet of Things (IoT) devices and remote smart homes.
TechRadar reported back in 2016 that HaLow’s starting speeds ranged from 150KBps to 18Mbps; decidedly unimpressive in retrospect – but nine years on, progress shown at CES 2025 has shown speeds of up to 250Mbps, a significant improvement that expands its potential applications.
In February 2024, Morse Micro demonstrated the potential of Wi-Fi HaLow by setting a record for long-distance connections using the 802.11ah standard. The company achieved a 3-kilometer (1.8-mile) video call at the time.
Even more impressively, in a September 2024 test in Joshua Tree National Park, a rural area with wide open spaces and minimal RF interference, the Morse Micro achieved a range of 16 kilometers (10 miles).
While HaLow’s 250 Mbps speed isn’t as fast as 5GHz Wi-Fi, it’s more than adequate for everyday tasks such as browsing, emails and IoT communications.
Morse Micro says it envisions a future where HaLow routers coexist with current Wi-Fi bands, creating tri-band systems that combine 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and sub-GHz frequencies.
Currently, mainstream devices such as smartphones and laptops are not yet equipped to support this technology, but Morse Micro is working with engineers to integrate HaLow chipsets into future devices.
Nevertheless, HaLow’s long-range coverage holds remarkable commercial and industrial potential for environments such as warehouses, where robots and IoT devices could communicate without hubs or repeaters.
