By Claus Hetting, WiFi NOW CEO & Chairman
What does the future look like for the Wi-Fi HaLow standard? US-based embedded compute hardware manufacturer Gateworks has been one of the earliest Wi-Fi HaLow proponents and now the company says it expects to ship more than 100,000 Wi-Fi HaLow modules by 2028. Wi-Fi HaLow has become a critical component of Gateworks’ growth strategy, says Kelly Peralta, VP of Sales & Business Development at Gateworks.
Made in America plus a range of excellent wireless connectivity options for IoT including Wi-Fi HaLow: That’s Gateworks recipe for success. The San Luis Obispo-based embedded compute company launched its wireless connectivity strategy five years ago and is now embracing Wi-Fi HaLow technology as a business critical component for growth. Gateworks’ Kelly Peralta says wireless has become essential and Wi-Fi HaLow is in high demand by Gateworks clients.
“Five years ago we had little in terms of a consistent wireless strategy despite more than half of our clients requesting connectivity as part of our product offerings. Today, we’re serving upwards of 80% of our clients with wireless capabilities including Wi-Fi HaLow. Wi-Fi HaLow has become a real strategic differentiator for us,” says Kelly Peralta. Thus far Gateworks has sold a couple of thousand Wi-Fi HaLow modules but expects this to multiply by two orders of magnitude in coming years.
“We estimate to sell more than 100,000 Wi-Fi HaLow modules over the next few years – and this number is based on feedback from our clients. Our market has shifted from customers to looking forward hardware to clients looking for solutions in – for example – robotics, energy, smart grid, and more. We’ve been pushing Wi-Fi HaLow from the beginning because HaLow offers the right specifications for so many IoT applications, despite the fact that it is lesser known,” Kelly Peralta says.
The applications for embedded compute for IoT supported by Wi-Fi HaLow connectivity are nearly endless. For example: In November of this year, Gateworks issued this guide to designing outdoor autonomous mobile robots also known as AMRs. The Gateworks platform uses GNSS (satellite) for positioning combined with Wi-Fi HaLow for long-range connectivity and LiDAR technology for stereoscopic video sensing. The hardware needed is a combination of Gateworks’ Wi-Fi HaLow and GNSS modules with the company’s single-board computer and peripherals (also see the video below).
A second important component of Gateworks’ growth strategy is Made in America. “Many clients in the US prefer that their suppliers are American companies, and for several reasons. First of all, there’s no risk of adding tariffs to their cost structures when they choose Gateworks. But it’s also important to offer comprehensive support from within the US and no doubt reliable supply chains and traceability also plays an important role. Gateworks has been Made in America for 30 years,” Kelly Peralta says.
Gateworks latest Wi-Fi HaLow module implementation dubbed GW16167 will be released at CES Las Vegas in January and includes Morse Micro’s newest Wi-Fi HaLow Soc, the MM8108. The new HaLow chip delivers better coverage, faster connectivity, and compatibility with all boards via its USB interface. “Even more importantly, the new chip supports all Wi-Fi HaLow bands, which means this will be available for sale all over the world,” Kelly Peralta says.
Gateworks is a new WiFi NOW HaLow partner and we look forward to covering the pioneering work of Gateworks in 2026 and beyond.
/Claus.
