Standard Bluetooth beacons used for indoor positioning have ranges of about 50 meters. Now new long-range beacon technologies are emerging that extend well beyond conventional capabilities.
Limitations of Standard Beacons
Most beacons on the market advertise a 50 meter indoor range. However, that’s under ideal conditions with no obstructions. In the real world, ranges are often much shorter.
Standard beacons transmit at just 0-10 dBm power levels. Signals attenuate rapidly traveling through walls, floors and other objects. This limits use cases to small indoor spaces.
Introducing Long-Range Beacons
New long-range beacon devices are pushing past conventional limits using higher transmit power:
- 100-500m range Bluetooth beacons (16 dBm)
- 1 km range Bluetooth beacons (20 dBm)
- 8 km range LoRa beacons
- 15 km range NB-IoT beacons
These devices open up promising new applications thanks to extended reach, though require more power.
Enabling New Use Cases
Some potential uses for long-range beacon technology:
- Campus navigation/asset tracking
- Smart city implementations
- Proximity marketing at major outdoor events
- Parking spot detection in large lots
- Supply chain/logistics asset monitoring
- Automated attendance taking
- Industrial yard management
- Micromobility tracking like bikes and scooters
The Future
As more vendors offer long-range beacons and networks support new LPWAN protocols like LoRa and NB-IoT, more expansive beacon deployments become feasible across sectors.
Businesses can now conceive microlocation applications at the city scale rather than confined indoors. The long-range beacon ecosystem will open up new possibilities as it continues maturing.
