The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) announced the release of Zigbee 4.0 and Suzi, the new brand for Zigbee’s Sub-GHz feature, two major milestones in advancing the foundation of secure, interoperable, and scalable IoT connectivity with a range of optional features, enabling product manufacturers to choose the specific set that best fits their product’s use case and needs. Together, these innovations mark the next evolution of Zigbee technology, building on decades of proven performance to deliver greater range, reliability, and security across global networks.
Strengthening Security, Range, and Interoperability
Zigbee 4.0 lays the groundwork for harmonizing traditional Zigbee and Smart Energy devices, delivering greater interoperability across universal networks. This release simplifies certification processes and supports enhanced information exchange, creating a more complete smart home solution. Comprehensive and proactive security updates aligned with evolving international security standards implement cryptographic agility and additional mechanisms to protect the network. Extending its capabilities beyond the 2.4GHz band, Zigbee 4.0 introduces support for the European 800 MHz and North American 900 MHz PHY, providing increased signal strength, range, and coverage. Fully backward compatible with Zigbee 3.0 and Smart Energy, it ensures continuity with more than a billion Zigbee devices already deployed worldwide while introducing improvements to network stability, user experience, and device commissioning in dense networks.
Delivering significant security enhancements aligned with evolving global standards, the latest release reinforces Zigbee’s position as a trusted solution for secure, modern connectivity. Advanced capabilities such as Dynamic Link Key, Device Interview, and Smart Energy Authentication Level Control offer greater control and resilience across connected networks. These capabilities strengthen device authentication, enable selective communication based on security levels, and ensure only trusted devices join the network. New tools such as Restricted Mode, Secured Channel, PAN ID Changes, and Trust Center Swap Out offer improved flexibility and management for ecosystems and installers by enhancing protection, allowing efficient Trust Center replacement, and preventing unauthorized network changes.
With Advanced Frame Counter Synchronization, Zigbee 4.0 prevents replay attacks and synchronizes precise message validation between endpoints. Robust improvements such as standardized network-level retries, more reliable data polling for sleepy end devices, and expanded use of APS acknowledgements increase overall network performance and reduce message loss. Features like Formalized Parent Selection, Unique Link Key Monitoring, and Trust Center Connectivity improve network resilience, ensuring that devices maintain secure connections, can rejoin when necessary, and operate even in complex network environments.
Elevating both usability and scalability, Zigbee 4.0 is designed to simplify and strengthen device interoperability. Through Zigbee Direct, users can seamlessly onboard and control devices via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) without a hub. Batch Commissioning enables efficient, simultaneous setup of multiple devices, simplifying residential and commercial deployments. Additionally, sleepy-to-sleepy communication using Coordinated Sample Listening (CSL) allows direct, low-power exchanges between devices, optimizing energy and further extending battery life. Collectively, these advancements position Zigbee 4.0 as a forward-looking standard, continuing to evolve with industry needs and future market requirements.
Introducing Suzi: Expanding Connectivity Through Long-Range Mesh Networking
Alongside Zigbee 4.0, the Alliance introduces Suzi, the new brand for the standards-based wireless technology that extends the reach and reliability of IoT connectivity through long-range, Sub-GHz mesh networking.
Built on the proven Zigbee network layer, Suzi combines long-range performance, low power consumption, and multi-vendor interoperability to unlock new opportunities in residential, commercial, and industrial applications. From connecting outdoor living spaces to enabling large-scale networks in buildings and cities, Suzi delivers robust, efficient communication in environments demanding extended coverage and minimal interference.
Adhering to the same strong security principles that define all Alliance technologies, Suzi aligns with international standards to ensure a secure and trusted ecosystem. Its framework allows developers, manufacturers, and consumers the freedom to build and deploy interoperable devices from a global ecosystem of trusted suppliers.
The Suzi Certification Program is planned to open in the first half of 2026, enabling manufacturers to begin certifying products that bring the benefits of long-range, low-power mesh networking to the connected world.
For More Information: www.csa-iot.org
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