Amazon Sidewalk

More PR around Amazon Sidewalk

Note reference to ‘crowd sourced’ network

No specific call out of LoRaWAN - only mentions LoRa directly in the release

Amazons Blog post on the story:

https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/blogs/alexa/device-makers/2020/09/amazon-sidewalk-paves-the-way-for-more-connected-communities

Note reference to “will support multiple protocols including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) and LoRa in the 900 MHz band”.

The LoRa exclusiveness is now lost.

I dont recall that it was ever LoRa only but rather it was emerging as a multiradio solution - dont recall wifi though I know Borroz suggested it might involve a LoRa - WiFi Mesh system and I beleive one of the devices called out earlier in the thread may have had capability as a WiFi-LoRa/FSK bridging device. I think some of the early ‘Ring’ brand product that were commented as potentially part of the early system development were multi radio per the FCC submissions.I believe idea was devices would opt for the ‘best fit’ available locally or depending on distance/proximity.

Update

More info coming out e.g. here:

More info on system implementation and security configuration in whte paper here

I suspect it could be LoRaWAN based, they recently launched the capability to AWS Core IoT to build out applications using LoRaWAN, imagine the marketing spiel for not only having your own gateways registered in AWS Core IoT but being able to federate with sidewalk and having connectivity via Amazon Echo devices almost anywhere… It would also explain why it is US only for now, maybe they didn’t release echo devices that conform to 868MHz band.

We’ve not seen much update activity on Sidewalk of late but saw this recently
https://www.eetimes.com/its-amazons-sidewalk-you-just-live-on-it/

More ref Sidewalk Bridge Pro/application here

Cross linking threads to updtae:

and to update with:

Piggy backing on/Hijacking (a la BT’s WiFi service expansion model) using customer’s routers/devices to (default) provide service coverage… :wink:

This network will collapse about 2 minutes after it is misused by someone and hysteria spreads with wild, technically-unsound claims. Or a journalist wants to make their name by dishing it.

Now if Amazon paid people per uplink they processed, that may help it along …

Helium MkII :rofl!

Remember we are dealing with sheeple in the mass market not technically savy users in the main…they willingly allow Alexa to listen, Ring to watch inviting into their homes a la Mr Orwell’s prediction (ok a few decades too late!)
image

so not hopefull the great unwashed will ‘revolt’ 'cause - defaults & “convenience” and conditioned over years to become ‘product’ themselves!

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Precisely - so as soon as someone links Amazon Sidewalk to a heinous high profile crime, probably involving automatic weapons & children, the non-technical will turn off the functionality in a moment.

Inside the house they get the convenience & privacy. It’s when they find out that complete strangers are piggy-backing off their domestic systems that it will all go horribly wrong.

My exact thoughts, you open up your private network so anyone can use it, just a small bit. Like your camera can still stream.