1. White-Fi
White-fi is the common name used to represent the IEEE 802.11af version of Wi-Fi. White-Fi is often known as Super Wi-Fi or White space Wi-Fi. It is designed in such a way that it uses the unused spaces or white spaces of the TV channel in the very-high-frequency band and lower end of the ultra-high-frequency band. It works well for very long-range devices. One of the major disadvantages of white-fi is that it requires band-specific and expensive hardware components.
2. Wi-Fi HaLow
An IoT sensor requires long-range data transmission at a lesser data rate. Wi-Fi HaLow is introduced to meet such requirements. It is the common name used to represent the IEEE 802.11ah version of Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi HaLow is capable of penetrating through walls and objects. It can be considered an ideal candidate for bursty and short data. Few applications of this standard include digital health care markets, smart cities, and smart homes, etc…
Difference between White-Fi and Wi-Fi HaLow:
| S.No | White-Fi | Wi-Fi HaLow |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | IEEE 802.11af version of Wi-Fi | IEEE 802.11ah version of Wi-Fi |
| 2. | It was released in 2014. | It was released in 2016. |
| 3. | Operates in the 54 to 790 MHz frequency band. | Operates in the 900 MHz frequency band |
| 4. | It works with channels having bandwidths of 6, 7, and 8 MHz. | It works with channels having bandwidths of 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 MHz. |
| 5. | The maximum data rate is 26.7 Mbps. | The data rate of 100 kb/s are possible in a 1-MHz channel and up to several hundred Mb/s are achievable in a 16-MHz channel. |
| 6. | It promises a coverage range greater than 1 km. | It promises a coverage range upto 1 km. |
| 7. | Operates in the TV white spaces | Transmits in the unlicensed frequency band at 900 MHz |
| 8. | With a low transmit power of just 100 mW for mobile user stations and 4 W for base stations or access points, there’s an opportunity to use battery-operated equipment communicating over White-Fi. | Power Consumption is low. |
