The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced at the Mobile World Congress that Bluetooth will feed the “need for speed” of consumers by piggy-backing large format data over 802.11. This is the first step of a two phase roadmap.

Music, video, and photos are bandwidth intensive items commonly transferred over Bluetooth. The SIG is suggesting that substituting the 802.11 radio for such transfers will still allow the Bluetooth standard protocols and transactions to take place, while achieving faster throughput with the use of the 802.11 radio already in the device.

“This is the wireless technology equivalent of ‘low hanging fruit,’” said SIG executive director, Michael Foley, Ph.D. “What we’re doing is taking classic Bluetooth connections – using Bluetooth protocols, profiles, security and other architectural elements – and allowing it to jump on top of the already present 802.11 radio, when necessary, to send bulky entertainment data, faster. When the speed of 802.11 is overkill, the connection returns to normal operation on a Bluetooth radio for optimal power management and performance.”

This partnership is part 1 of the 2 phase roadmap, dubbed “Alternate MAC/PHY”, for higher speeds over Bluetooth devices. In 2006, the SIG announced a partnership with WiMedia Alliance, who’s ultra wideband technology will be co-located in Bluetooth devices providing high speed data transfers. The 802.11 radio is just a stand-in until that technology is available.

High speed Bluetooth technology will allow users to move bulky entertainment data between devices without cables or wires. The new architecture does not replace current security or power standards. Expect the specification to be published sometime in 2009, though work is already well underway.

Related:

Entry was posted on Monday, February 11th, 2008 at 11:29 am under Technology, Wi-Fi.

Read more entries by Ken Mitchell.
Stumble It!