Wi-Fi HaLow CCTV: Build a Private Wireless Camera Network with Zero SIM Costs

4G cameras earn their keep where there's no network at all. But put six of them around one site and you're paying six SIM contracts, every month, forever — for cameras that are all within sight of the same building. Wi-Fi HaLow (802.11ah) exists for exactly this situation: Wi-Fi re-engineered on sub-GHz radio, reaching up to a kilometre or more instead of 30 metres, punching through trees and buildings far better than normal Wi-Fi — and costing nothing per month to run. Last updated: August 2026. The architecture: one AP, many cameras A HaLow CCTV network has the same simple shape as a LoRaWAN sensor network: one access point on the main building, many cameras around the site, all connecting back wirelessly. The AP plugs into your existing broadband (or a single 4G/5G router if the site has no line — one SIM for the whole network instead of one per camera). The access points come in three power classes, which is really a range choice: Airlink ODU01-AH — 0.1W (£114.50) — yards, buildings, sites where cameras are within a few hundred metres. Airlink ODU02-AH — 1W high power (£200.50) — larger sites, mixed obstructions. Airlink ODU03-AH — 2W high power (£225.50) — the kilometre-class option for large compounds, farms and estates. The cameras Matched HaLow cameras, in the same power classes so radio budget matches both ends: AS204 — 5MP bullet with AI human detection (£120, or 2W long-range version £165) — the workhorse perimeter camera; AI filters out foxes and weather. AS32 — 4K 8MP with 20x zoom (£185; 1W £220; 2W £235) — detail work: entrances, plates, long sightlines. AS-35R — 4MP with AI fire & smoke detection (£125) — for barns, stores and waste sites where fire is the bigger risk than intruders. All run H.265 and the AI models on the camera itself, so alerts work without any cloud subscription either. The economics, honestly A four-camera 4G setup: four SIMs at typical UK data-SIM rates is £240–£480 a year, indefinitely. The HaLow equivalent: one 2W AP (£225.50) + four AS204s — a one-off hardware cost that pays for itself against SIM contracts within roughly the first year, then runs free. And because it's your own private radio network, there's no coverage lottery: HaLow works in valleys and black spots where 4G cameras simply can't. Where 4G still wins: single cameras far from anywhere, temporary deployments that move often, and sites with no broadband and no power at the centre — that's 4G/5G PTZ territory. The two mix well: HaLow for the cluster around the buildings, one 4G camera for the far gateway. Building yours Count the cameras, pace out the distances, note the obstructions — then tell our UK team and we'll spec the AP power class, camera mix and mounting that actually fits the geography. Free UK delivery over £75; trade pricing for installers.