[3] ANT can be configured to spend long periods in a low-power sleep mode (consuming current on the order of microamperes), wake up briefly to communicate (when consumption rises to a peak of 22 milliamperes (at −5 dB) during reception and 13.5 milliamperes (at −5 dB) during transmission)[8] and return to sleep mode.

[9] ANT can also be used for burst messaging; this is a multi-message transmission technique using the full data bandwidth and running to completion.

[9] ANT was designed for low-bit-rate and low-power sensor networks, in a manner conceptually similar to (but not compatible with) Bluetooth Low Energy.

The radio transmits for less than 150 μs per message, allowing a single channel to be divided into hundreds of time slots.

[citation needed] ANT+, introduced in 2004 as "the first ultra low power wireless standard",[2] is an interoperability function that can be added to the base ANT protocol.

This standardization allows the networking of nearby ANT+ devices to facilitate the open collection and interpretation of sensor data.

[15] ANT+ is designed and maintained by the ANT+ Alliance, which is managed by ANT Wireless, a division of Dynastream Innovations, owned by Garmin.

At DEF CON 2019, hacker Brad Dixon demonstrated a tool to modify ANT+ data transmitted through USB for cheating in virtual cycling.