Sony chip transmits on 100 km range

One of the problems with a lot of wireless devices is its range. Bluetooth has a limited range which means that if you walk out of range of your speakers or headphones, your audio will stop streaming. The same can also be said for our Internet of Things (IoT) devices, where usually they require them to be connected to the same WiFi network.

Now Sony is launching a proprietary IoT LPWAN called ELTRES using modules which transmit with a 100km range, while moving at 100 km/h and operating off a coin battery.

Instead of WiFi or cellular signals ELTRES harnesses low-power wireless technology to transfer low-bit data across a wide area, with lower power consumption, making it feasible to connect a wide range of devices.

Sony’s CXM1501GR chip transmits signals in the 920MHz band to ELTRES, and is also equipped with GPS/GNSS sensors to obtain time and position data.

Sony said it’ll work in a “broad range of IoT devices, aiming to develop various services making the most of stable wireless communications over long distances and while moving at high speeds, thereby creating a new market.”, and “Most IoT systems wirelessly transfer information obtained by various sensors to cloud servers, where the data is collected and processed, and the output then sent to user devices such as smartphones or tablets for display.”

In a use case document, Sony said the tech could be used to “help friends find each other at a ski hill,” track wildlife, geolocate ships, follow yacht races, monitor bike rentals, while tracking numerous things like drones, rental cars and trains.

For the time being, it appears the deployment if ELTRES will be confined to Japan.