IEEE Announces Availability of 802.11ah-2016 Standard Amendment

IEEE published the 802.11ah-2016 standard amendment, providing for an extended range wireless local area network in the sub-1 GHz band, it announced Tuesday. IEEE 802.11ah-2016 is said to lower propagation loss through free space, walls and other obstructions, and offers a networking alternative to the congested 2.4 GHz and shorter-range 5 GHz bands. It defines a narrow-band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing physical layer operating in the license-exempt bands below 1 GHz, making it suitable for applications in IoT, smart appliances, wearables, smart grid and healthcare, said the standards group.