Silicon Labs (SLAB) And Amazon (AMZN) Partnering On Shared Network For IoT Devices

By Noah Long • Sep 22, 2020
  • Silicon and software solutions company Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) announced it is partnering with Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) to support Amazon Sidewalk

Silicon and software solutions company Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) announced it is partnering with Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) to support Amazon Sidewalk — which is a shared network created by neighbors who share a small portion of Wi-Fi bandwidth for helping devices work better at home and beyond their front doors.

Silicon Labs’ wireless solutions for Amazon Sidewalk is going to enable developers to create IoT products with encrypted cloud communication, no matter which protocol is used. And Silicon Labs’ EFR Wireless Gecko Series products support Sidewalk’s sub-GHz and Bluetooth Low Energy protocols.

“Silicon Labs and Amazon are teaming up to help OEMs create amazing new user experiences with secure, private, easy to set up Sidewalk IoT devices,” said Jake Alamat, vice president and general manager of IoT home and consumer products at Silicon Labs.

Operated through Amazon at no charge to users, Sidewalk helps simplify new device setup, extending the working range of low-bandwidth devices and helping them stay online and up-to-date even if they are outside their home’s Wi-Fi range. And with Amazon Sidewalk, users can experience improved coverage of smart devices in and around the home and throughout the neighborhood, enable limited offline connectivity for uses such as motion alerts from security cameras, receive customer support for troubleshooting even when Wi-Fi is down, and easily set-up new devices.  

Going forward, Sidewalk is going to power new device experiences like tools that can self-diagnose problems and order replacement parts, deliver improved range with reduced energy consumption for smart locks, and offer the ability to locate pets or valuables throughout your neighborhood. Equipped with several layers of security and privacy, Amazon Sidewalk will support Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) and Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) in the 900 MHz band.