- Wi-Fi HaLow demonstrated as wireless backhaul for LoRaWAN gateways replacing cables
- HaLowLink 2 gateway announced with extended range, flexible modes and global region support
- New MM8108 evaluation kits and HaLowLink 2 hardware expand options for developers
At the recent The Things Conference 2025, Morse Micro and The Things Industries demonstrated Wi-Fi HaLow as a wireless backhaul for LoRaWAN gateways, showing how the technology can replace wired or short range connections.
LoRaWAN is a networking protocol for low power devices that send small packets of data across long distances. Gateways gather that information and forward it online, but they typically rely on Ethernet or short range Wi-Fi for the backhaul connection.
Wi-Fi HaLow operates in the sub-GHz spectrum, delivering kilometer range coverage with stronger penetration through walls and obstacles than conventional Wi-Fi.
Say Hello to HaLowLink 2
The protocol has already been tested over 16km in rural conditions, and at CES 2025, Morse Micro showed it could deliver speeds up to 250Mbps.
Pairing HaLow with LoRaWAN gives operators flexibility in farms, factories and large buildings where installing wiring is costly or impractical.
The demonstration in Amsterdam used Morse Micro’s MM8108 chip. The company also revealed new evaluation kits, including the MM8108-EKH19, which combines a USB 2.0 adapter reference design with an SMA Wi-Fi HaLow antenna and a Wi-Fi 6 GL-MT3000 router.
The kits are intended to help developers add HaLow support to both new and existing devices.
“This demonstration proves that deploying LoRaWAN gateways no longer needs to be constrained by wired backhaul or short range wireless on a local internet connection. Wi-Fi HaLow unlocks flexible placement and simplifies connectivity, opening up new opportunities for industrial, agricultural, and smart building IoT applications worldwide,” said Wienke Giezeman, CEO of The Things Industries.
“By combining Morse Micro’s Wi-Fi HaLow technology with The Things Stack, we’ve shown that long range, low power Wi-Fi backhaul for LoRaWAN gateways is not only possible… it’s easy,” said Michael De Nil, CEO of Morse Micro.
Morse Micro also announced the HaLowLink 2 gateway, a successor to HaLowLink 1 that combines Wi-Fi HaLow with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.
It supports various regions including the United States, Europe, Australia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.
HaLowLink 2 functions as a Wi-Fi HaLow router, access point and extender, allowing users to create networks optimized for HaLow devices.
When paired with a second unit, it can extend 2.4GHz Wi-Fi hotspots beyond the range of conventional equipment, providing connectivity for non-HaLow devices.
The gateway is powered by the MM8108 8MHz chipset and AzureWave’s AW-HM677 Wi-Fi HaLow module, alongside a Mediatek MT7603E 2x2 802.11n radio.
It runs on OpenWrt 23.05 and includes a web interface, command line access, a status dashboard, configuration wizards and streamlined software updates.
Hardware specifications include a Mediatek MT7621 CPU, 256MB of DRAM, 32MB of NAND flash storage, transmit power up to 26dBm and 5V/2A power input.
Connectivity includes two Gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB-C port for power and Ethernet data, dual band Wi-Fi with 2.4GHz 802.11n, and Wi-Fi HaLow.
“The MM8108 and our rapidly expanding ecosystem mark a breakthrough moment for the Internet of Things,” said Michael De Nil, co-founder and CEO of Morse Micro.
“With Wi-Fi HaLow, we’re not just delivering silicon, we’re laying the foundation for IoT 2.0: an era where billions of devices can connect seamlessly, reliably, and with unprecedented throughput and range. This is about enabling cities, industries, and households to rethink what’s possible with connectivity; transforming how we monitor, automate, and interact with the world around us. What begins here is the start of a new wave of innovation that will define the next decade of IoT.”
HaLowLink 2 is listed as available soon on the Morse Micro site.
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