The WiFi Alliance, which controls the WiFi standard, has approved the 802.11ah version of the ubiquitous wireless standard, dubbing it “HaLow.”
WiFi HaLow operates in the 900MHz frequency band, below the 2.4GHz and 5GHz band. That lower frequency means lower bandwidth than the other bands, but greater range and less power draw. That makes it particularly well-suited for IoT devices, which don’t typically need a lot of bandwidth and are not necessarily near wireless hubs. Extending the network range saves money by not requiring wireless repeaters and decreasing the need to replace batteries on the devices themselves.
For wearable devices, a lower-bandwidth lower-powered wireless standard could lead to small devices and longer-lasting devices.
No products have yet been announced using the HaLow standard, although some may be forthcoming at CES.