Amazon Sidewalk: Low-Power, Low-Bandwidth, And Long-Range IoT Networks Reach 90% US Population

Amazon revealed its low-power, long-range, and wide IoT Sidewalk network reaches more than 90% of the United States population. (photo: Twitter @awscloud)

JAKARTA - Amazon revealed its low-power, long-range, and wide IoT Sidewalk network reaches more than 90% of the United States population. The Sidewalk network is not designed to replace mobile data for devices that require high bandwidth, but to replace expensive LTE or 5G connectivity on devices that don't require a lot of data.

Currently, Sidewalks are used primarily to help Ring cameras send motion notifications even when offline and allow Level smart keys to connect to the internet without the need to use wasteful Wi-Fi.

Amazon has developed several initial partnerships, including with CareBand, which develops usable health trackers. Now, Amazon wants other people to build devices that use this free network.

All you need to do is ask for a test kit - a small gray wireless device with the Ring brand - and assess whether connectivity in the area you want to use is adequate, and you can start building.

Sidewalks can be used for consumer IoT devices, such as dog trackers, package trackers, soil moisture sensors, weather stations, leakage sensors, ballot boxes, pill bottles, solar panel controllers, and others that don't always have Wi-Fi connections.

However, the main advantage of Sidewalk may come from the dynamic coverage it offers. In addition, Sidewalk can also help connect smart homes and smart cities. Despite the many advantages, security is a major concern regarding user data sent through this network.