Video: Experts Weigh In On ‘Weightless’ – Part III

Last month, TechWeekEurope editor Peter Judge chaired a roundtable dedicated to ‘Weightless’ – a new communication standard developed specifically for machine-to-machine (M2M) networks, often referred to as ‘the Internet of things’.

In exploration of the topic, he was aided by three experts: professor William Webb, CTO of Neul, Gary Atkinson, director of emerging technologies at ARM and Matthew Bailey, VP of marketing and product development at Argon Design. All three also hold various positions in the Weightless SIG (Special Interest Group) – an organisation that coordinates and enables all the activities needed to deliver the new standard.

Below you can watch the third in a four part video series, looking at the development of technology that could transform our daily life.

You can find the first and second part in our video channel.

Cheaper than chips

White space broadband relies on portions of spectrum designated for television broadcasting but not engaged in a particular location, due to the pattern of TV transmitters.

This spectrum (470 – 790MHz) can be used for several purposes, including M2M communication. Weightless allows sensors and computers to talk to each other, transporting tiny bits of information instantly over distances of up to 10 kilometres.

The video below looks at the cost of Weightless and its possible uses. Cambridge start up Neul, which created ‘Iceni’, the first ever chip designed for the new standard, says it will eventually cost under $2 and work from a single battery for ten years.

According to Atkinson, the technology achieves connectivity with power requirements and cost of Bluetooth, but the range of cellular, plugging a very important hole in the market.

Meanwhile, Bailey talks about Weightless in the utility industry and several ongoing pilot trials.

If you want to hear a more thorough introduction to Weightless, watch the first video produced by the Weightless SIG.

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