Bluetooth group to release spec for Wi-Fi

Network World - On schedule, Bluetooth is about to get a big boost in data rate and, in some cases, distance.

On April 21, the group overseeing the Bluetooth specification will launch a version that can use an available 802.11 Wi-Fi radio for the wireless connection. A 3.0 Bluetooth stack would be able to switch from the standard low-power, short-range Bluetooth radio to an 802.11a/b/g radio. With 11g and 11a now far more common, that would mean throughput in the 20Mbit/sec.-24Mbit/sec. range in either the 2.4-GHz or 5-GHz bands, compared to a maximum today of up to 3Mbit/sec. in 2.4 GHz for Bluetooth 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate.

Most users would probably see a jump in Bluetooth range also. Class 2 radios, which are most commonly found in headsets, handhelds and other consumer devices, today can reach about 30 feet. Class 3 radios, for specialized industrial use, can reach 300 feet, which is comparable to Wi-Fi ranges.

The new parts of the specification, dubbed the Generic Alternate MAC/PHY will be implemented in code by software developers, adding to the Bluetooth software stack, which is used in conjunction with a low-power Bluetooth radio. Some products, such as a notebook PC, might be able to use the new capability via a software update.

Another new feature in 3.0 is Enhanced Power Control, which is intended to cut the number of disconnects that can be caused by movement such as placing a handset or other Bluetooth device into a pocket or purse.

The move is part of a shift by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), to make use of alternative underlying physical and media access control layers to improve throughput. The Wi-Fi project was announced just over a year ago. The goal was to enable the use of Wi-Fi when needed for large-scale data uploads or downloads.

Earlier the SIG had started working on an ultra-wideband (UWB) version of its spec, with the WiMedia Alliance. That project has taken a lower priority as UWB struggles for wider acceptance. The alliance is disbanding after it completes a handoff of its own UWB work to the Bluetooth SIG and to the Wireless USB Implementers Forum.

The Bluetooth SIG has lined up a range of chip makers who intended to create single chips that integrate both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Those partners will be announced at the 3.0 launch later this month, when SIG members will go into more details about power requirements, application profiles and the like.

Reprinted with permission from

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