Energous breakthrough FCC approval for 15W WattUp PowerBridge, increases wireless power networks charging capability by 15 times
Cesar Johnston of Energous
Energous Corporation, a semiconductor company enabling RF-based wireless power networks, today announced its new high-power WattUp PowerBridge transmitter has received U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Part 18 grant of equipment authorisation for 15 watts of conducted wireless power transfer.
The approval enables higher power transmission for the rapidly expanding Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, safely delivering higher levels of power, with no distance limitations to IoT and other connected devices such as electronic shelf labels and RF-based asset tracking. This new FCC certification follows recent global regulatory approvals received by Energous and increases the amount of power that can be transmitted wirelessly in the United States.
“This is a landmark approval for Energous, as it enables us to now transmit 15x more power than previously allowed without distance limitations,” says Cesar Johnston, CEO of Energous. “This achievement is the result of our long-term and continued focus on increasing both power and distance for Wireless Power Networks utilising our advanced systems ICs.”
Analyst firm IDC projects the number of IoT devices globally to more than triple over the next three years, growing from about 12 billion devices today to almost 40 billion by 2025 and outnumbering humans by a ratio of about 5:1. Each device requires consistent and reliable levels of power to function properly and many are moving further to the edge, increasing their power demands. However, today most IoT devices are fueled by replaceable batteries which are impacted by variables such as temperature and frequency of use or by the power cables and cords that bring with them logistical problems and additional hidden costs to IT teams and their budgets.
WattUp PowerBridge transmitters from Energous are capable of charging multiple devices simultaneously at-a-distance using RF-based wireless power. Transmitting 1W, 5.5W and now 15W, WattUp PowerBridges send power to and also act as a data link for connected IoT devices such as sensors, Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs), IoT tags, batteryless devices and more.
Multiple WattUp PowerBridge transmitters can be meshed together to create a WattUp wireless power network covering unlimited distances for large footprint deployments such as retail stores, industrial warehouses, manufacturing plants, logistics hubs and more. By providing consistent levels of power for IoT devices and eliminating the costly need to manage and change out batteries or rely on restrictive power cables, WattUp PowerBridges usher in a new reality of batteryless, mobile, waterproof, maintenance-free and easier-to-implement devices.
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