Morse Micro

Morse Micro is an Australian fabless semiconductor company that designs Wi‑Fi HaLow (IEEE 802.11ah) system-on-chips (SoCs) that deliver long‑range, low‑power wireless connectivity for Internet‑of‑Things (IoT) applications[1][6].

High-Level Overview

Morse Micro builds compact Wi‑Fi HaLow chips that aim to extend Wi‑Fi range and battery life for IoT devices by operating in sub‑1 GHz bands and optimizing low‑power radio architectures[1][7]. The company’s products are targeted at device makers and system integrators in sectors such as smart metering, industrial/ factory automation, smart lighting and building controls, security cameras and other machine‑to‑machine deployments where long range and low energy usage matter[1][6]. Morse Micro positions its SoCs as enabling devices to run for years on small batteries while covering distances up to around a kilometre and expanding coverage area dramatically versus conventional Wi‑Fi, supporting faster rollout of large device fleets and denser IoT deployments[1][3].

Origin Story

Morse Micro was founded in 2016 to commercialize Wi‑Fi HaLow (IEEE 802.11ah) silicon by engineers with deep Wi‑Fi chip experience[2][1]. The founding team includes Michael De Nil (CEO) and Andrew “Andy” Terry (CTO), both veterans of Wi‑Fi radio and chip design with prior roles at major semiconductor firms[2]. The idea emerged from the combination of a new IEEE standard for sub‑1 GHz Wi‑Fi and the founders’ expertise in low‑power mixed‑signal radio ICs; after roughly eight years of development Morse Micro produced a generation of SoCs that the company says deliver far greater range and much lower power than traditional Wi‑Fi chips, with early production runs beginning around 2020[1][3].

Core Differentiators

• Product differentiators: Focused single‑chip Wi‑Fi HaLow SoCs that integrate radio and baseband optimized for long range and low power[7].
  - Size & power: Company claims chips are physically smaller than traditional Wi‑Fi processors and consume a fraction of the power, enabling multi‑year battery life for edge devices[1].
  - Range & coverage: Reported field performance shows up to ~10× range and coverage of ~100× area compared with conventional Wi‑Fi, leveraging sub‑1 GHz propagation[1][3].
  - Team IP and experience: Founders and senior engineers are experienced Wi‑Fi architects with prior success shipping Wi‑Fi silicon at scale[2].
  - Manufacturing & scale partnerships: Fabless model with production in Taiwan and partnerships and funding from semiconductor industry backers to scale manufacturing[1][4].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Morse Micro is riding the broader IoT trend toward massive device fleets that require energy‑efficient, robust wide‑area local connectivity rather than short‑range, power‑hungry Wi‑Fi or cellular options[1][6]. The timing aligns with growing market demand for IoT 2.0 use cases—smart cities, utility metering, industrial automation—where link budget, penetration through structures, and low cost per node matter[4][5]. By pushing Wi‑Fi capabilities into sub‑1 GHz bands using an established IEEE standard (802.11ah), Morse Micro helps bridge a gap between traditional Wi‑Fi and LPWAN/cellular IoT, potentially reducing reliance on proprietary or cellular connectivity for many enterprise and municipal deployments[1][7].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Morse Micro’s near‑term path is to scale volume production, broaden OEM adoption, and push HaLow into major IoT verticals by demonstrating total cost-of‑ownership and operational advantages over alternate connectivity stacks[4]. Key trends that will shape their journey include increased municipal and industrial IoT deployments, semiconductor supply and foundry dynamics, and competition from other LPWAN and low‑power Wi‑Fi solutions[5][1]. If Morse Micro continues to convert pilots into large fleet deployments and secures strong manufacturing partnerships, it could become a mainstream connectivity supplier for many IoT classes; conversely, adoption depends on ecosystem support (module vendors, silicon partners, certification and standards momentum) and price/performance parity with entrenched alternatives[4][7].

Overall, Morse Micro aims to extend Wi‑Fi into a new class of long‑range, low‑power IoT devices by leveraging HaLow silicon and a team experienced in shipping Wi‑Fi chips, positioning itself as a potential enabler of large‑scale IoT 2.0 deployments[1][2][6].