Is a new network necessary for the smart home? Several leading organizations including Samsung, ARM, and Nest formed Thread, a fresh standard aiming to replace Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ZigBee as the prime radio tech for residential environments.
The development of Thread is the collective undertaking of various companies such as Samsung, ARM, Nest, and four others. Thread is a low-power, mesh network protocol that also accommodates IPv6 and is founded on the current radio hardware employed by ZigBee devices (802.15.4). This indicates that companies are free to upgrade their ZigBee devices to Thread support via software if they decide to do so.
While creating a brand-new radio protocol might seem excessive, it carries significant allure. Several companies including Freescale, Silicon Labs, Yale Security, and Big Ass Fans are in agreement on this. Chris Boross, a representative of the Thread Group from Nest Labs, highlighted the drawbacks of other existing radio technologies during a recent discussion.
Wi-Fi is perceived as an issue due to its high power consumption and suitability for large-scale data, whilst Z-wave is under single company control. On the other hand, Bluetooth has low power usage but is not a true mesh network, despite efforts to transform it into one.
Conversely, Thread’s network protocol applies 6LoWPAN to enable IPv6, an approach to adapt the more robust IPv6 capacity to a network with energy and packet limitations. It can withstand a mesh network of 250 devices or potentially more.
Despite the hurdles posed by the implementation of a new radio standard, using existing radio hardware is a reasonable initial step. It’s also likely easier to convince manufacturers to release a software upgrade that adds Thread support to current ZigBee equipment than to persuade them to integrate a new radio.
Most market hubs feature ZigBee radios, and service providers such as Comcast incorporate ZigBee into their set-top boxes. Consequently, Samsung, Apple, Asus, or others may include a new radio following Thread’s possible gain in popularity.
As for establishing a true standard, the Thread Group plans to implement intensive testing, certification, and enforcement, closely mirroring the practices of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth certification bodies.
While the completion and success of this venture are still uncertain, the backers of Thread are assiduously minimizing the risks and have impressive marketing and product capabilities in their favor. The industry is eagerly anticipating the debut of the first device to garner the Thread approval seal. With the support of hubs and vendors such as GreenPeak, Thread protocol could play a pivotal role in shaping a more connected home network future.
Light edits were made in 2025 to improve clarity and relevance.