Nordic adds license-exempt Sub-GHz radio with edge AI to IoT line-up

Nordic Semiconductor has announced it is expanding into long-range, license-exempt Sub-GHz connectivity, adding ultra-low-power operation, security and edge AI to the band. The company describes Sub-GHz radio as capable of carrying signals over long distances and through obstacles such as walls and underground meter pits, using license-exempt bands that let networks run without a mobile operator or data plan.

Nordic says the new connectivity option targets devices that must operate for years on a single battery in hard-to-reach locations, citing water meters, asset trackers on shipping containers, and building sensors as examples. The Sub-GHz offering will build on Nordic's existing 22 nm ultra-low-power chip platform, according to the company.

Combined with DECT NR+ and edge compute

Nordic states it will combine ultra-low power, security and edge compute capability across both Sub-GHz and its existing DECT NR+ connectivity, allowing battery-powered devices to process data locally rather than relying solely on cloud processing. The company says developers already working with its chip-to-cloud platform will be able to add Sub-GHz, wide-area coverage while retaining the same software, tools, cloud services and support they currently use.

Open standards alongside proprietary support

According to Nordic, the Sub-GHz modem will be designed to support open standards as a primary focus while also accommodating proprietary protocols already deployed in installed networks, through what the company describes as a flexible modem architecture. Nordic says this approach is intended to give developers interoperability and a multi-vendor ecosystem without lock-in to a single supplier's stack, qualities the company frames as important for applications expected to run for a decade or more while remaining maintainable and certifiable.

Sub-GHz will join Nordic's existing portfolio spanning Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, Thread, Zigbee, Matter, cellular IoT, satellite and non-terrestrial network connectivity, and DECT NR+, within what the company describes as a single, unified development experience.

Nordic has opened an early adopter programme for the Sub-GHz technology, accessible through its website, and says it will present further details at the Enlit Europe and Electronica trade events in November 2026. The announcement does not specify a product name, part number or production availability date for the Sub-GHz silicon itself.