Sony's first IoT chip brings a 60+ mile range

Wi-Fi has a short range and suffers from signal interference if too many devices are connected, while LTE is expensive and requires a SIM. Both have a high-power drain. If we truly want everything connected to the internet, then we require affordable long-range networks that work in moving vehicles and can handle high interference, à la low-power long range. Enter Eltres. Eltres is Sony’s spin on the concept, and it will launch in full in Japan later this year. Eltres employs small microchips and antennas to relay a signal-like sensor data to a base station, which can be over 60 miles (100 km) away.