The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) plans to bring enhancements to wireless technology, Bluetooth devices.
In 2016, Bluetooth Smart devices will include longer range, higher speeds and mesh networking. The company will further energize fast-growing industries like smart home, industrial automation, location-based services and smart infrastructure.
The Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) will increase its range by four times, up from its current limit of around 330 feet. It means that a Wi-Fi-connected device in the home could pair and transfer data with devices much further away, such as at the bottom of the garden or at the street corner. In addition, the company said there will be a 100 percent increase in speed without the need for more energy to power the increase, Venture Beat Reported.
Meanwhile, when 1300+ feet of coverage is not enough, there will also be support for mesh networking. It will allow each Bluetooth Smart device to not only connect back to the central hub, but act as a bridge for more distant devices, enlarging coverage organically. Mesh networking allows all devices on a network to talk to each other, offering more ways of transferring data between devices, according to Slash Gear.
Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, has said the new functionality will solidify Bluetooth as the framework of Internet of Things (IoT) technology. There are a lot of wireless technologies in the growing IoT market, including Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread and more.
The economical power demands of Bluetooth Smart should mean that this new version will be helpful among smart home, connected medical device, and automotive industries. It would also help in operating smart homes and smart buildings of the future.