Amazon, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced on 28 March’23 that Amazon Sidewalk, a secure, low-bandwidth, long-range network designed to connect the next billion devices, is now open for developer testing. Sidewalk coverage now extends to 90% of the U.S. population, and free test kits are available for developers to validate the breadth of Sidewalk coverage for themselves as they build Sidewalk devices.
“We’ve rapidly built out a long-range, low-bandwidth network that now covers more than 90% of the U.S. population, and this is an open invitation for developers to put it to the test,” said Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices & Services. “Many types of connected devices have been limited by the range of Wi-Fi and the cost of cellular technology, which has hindered the ability to connect devices like environmental sensors, leak detectors, and smart locks. Sidewalk is designed to provide a secure, low-cost way to invent and connect a whole new range of devices, and we can’t wait to see what developers build.”
Nationwide Coverage, Ready to Test
Devices connected to Sidewalk come with a secure, persistent, and low-cost connection to the cloud. Newly-released public coverage maps showcase estimated Sidewalk coverage for any U.S. location, enabling developers to understand if their devices will connect in a desired area before starting product development. Sidewalk test kits are designed to validate real-world coverage by regularly pinging their location over the network, providing clear signal strength readings on a map within a developer portal.
Build with New Developer Tools and Resources
Developers can now use the tools and technology from Amazon Sidewalk, AWS, and leading silicon companies to rapidly build and onboard devices and supporting cloud-based applications to Sidewalk. Developers within Sidewalk’s coverage area can instantly connect a qualified silicon provider’s developer kit to the cloud without deploying their own network infrastructure. This also means developers’ customers can seamlessly add new Sidewalk-enabled devices without installing new apps or providing new passwords to connect their devices to Sidewalk. New tools and features available to developers include:
- Software Development Kits (SDKs): Distributedby leading silicon companies Nordic Semiconductor, Silicon Labs, Texas Instruments, and module vendor Quectel, these SDKs support Sidewalk technology and enable developers to build their Sidewalk applications while also integrating with existing silicon provider toolkits. This simplifies development for new Sidewalk designs and allows easy migration to Sidewalk for existing designs.
- Hardware Development Kits (HDKs) and Connectivity Module: To support their SDKs for Sidewalk, Nordic Semiconductor, Silicon Labs, and Texas Instruments each offer HDKs for developers to tinker, prototype, and design their applications on reference hardware. Additionally, Quectel offers a Sidewalk connectivity module, designed to help developers productize their Sidewalk-enabled devices and decrease their time-to-market.
- Mobile SDK and Tools App: Delivered by Amazon via GitHub, the Mobile SDK for iOS and Android devices is designed to speed up the integration of Sidewalk technology into developers’ mobile apps. Amazon also offers a Tools App for developers to debug and troubleshoot designs in the field.
Natively Integrate with AWS IoT Core
AWS IoT Core integration with Sidewalk makes it easy for developers to access the AWS services and resources needed to efficiently connect Sidewalk-enabled devices to the cloud, including:
- AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk : AWS IoT Core lets developers access and configure their Sidewalk-enabled devices via an easy-to-use web interface and offers a broad range of AWS services developers are already familiar with. With AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk, device registration for the development kits is as simple as turning on the device, simplifying the onboarding experience for developers.
- AWS Samples GitHub Repository: Developers can access the software, source code, scripts, and documentation needed to connect devices to Sidewalk, providing AWS reference code that helps developers rapidly prototype solutions.
“The integration of AWS IoT Core and Amazon Sidewalk marks a significant milestone for developers, manufacturers, and customers, streamlining the design, connection, and deployment of Amazon Sidewalk based IoT solutions,” said Yasser Alsaied, vice president of IoT at Amazon Web Services. “Now, with AWS IoT Core for Amazon Sidewalk, developers can access more than 200 AWS services to build scalable solutions on top of a highly reliable, secure, and free-to-connect wireless network.”
New Devices Join Amazon Sidewalk This Year
As Sidewalk opens to developers, customers will have even more choice in the types of devices they can buy. Three companies are introducing new Sidewalk-enabled devices available later this year, including:
- Netvox : Used in residential and industrial settings, the Multi-Sense S315 Series from Netvox will keep homes and buildings safer by combining a variety of sensors into a single device, including air conditioning monitoring, water leak detection, and state monitoring. With Sidewalk, it’s easy for customers to install and deploy the device at an extended range and maintain connectivity.
- OnAsset : A new sensor from OnAsset called Sentinel 200 will leverage Sidewalk to provide logistics professionals with data on high-value shipments from delivery origin to destination, spanning airplane transport, pharma shipments, food deliveries, and more. OnAsset will use Sidewalk data to validate that a shipment is undamaged before it reaches customers.
- Primax : Woody, a smart door lock from Primax, will connect via Sidewalk to help customers experience easy installation and access to remote status monitoring, as well as remote door lock and unlock.
