Power conserving local wireless network

A low aggregate power consumption wireless network comprising:

• a plurality of wireless transceiver subsystems systems configured for distributed installation within a physical region, each transceiver subsystem comprising:
• a listening device configured to receive radio frequency transmissions;
• a wireless transceiver;
• and
• a power controller operatively connected to the listening device and the wireless transceiver, the power controller being configured to cause the wireless transceiver to assume a low power sleep state and transition to an awake state in response to a trigger from the listening device,
• wherein the listening device being configured to monitor received transmissions for a network access request signal, indicative of a need for utilisation of the wireless transceiver, and in response to receiving the network access request signal, trigger the power controller to cause transition of the transceiver from a sleep state to an awake state, whereby network communication functionality is enabled for the subsystem,
• wherein each transceiver is configured to monitor signal power and trigger a handover to another subsystem in response to low signal power, and
• wherein the listening device of each subsystem is configured to receive handover signalling as a network access request and if the subsystem is in the sleep state trigger transition of a subsystem to a wake state for the handover.