Amazon is going to launch a networking and location system with the name Amazon Sidewalk, later this year. Sidewalk will leverage connectivity through Echo and Ring devices. It will link smart home devices and other Amazon products using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
Amazon Sidewalk will be set to connect beyond the range of a standard Wi-Fi network. Alongside, it would turn devices like smart floodlights and home assistants into network bridges. It passes along security updates and commands from a central Wi-Fi hub.
The signals on the transmitting software allow Sidewalk to triangulate a device’s approximate location based on its contacts with other devices enabled with Sidewalk. The technology will be built into the Echo while Tile is supporting the project as the first third-party platform.
At a later point in time, Amazon plans to add Ring cameras to the network. These send notifications to the device owners directly when Sidewalk is available to use. Similar to a mesh network, adding more devices will extend Sidewalk’s range and functionality.