Bluetooth 5 set to boost the Internet of Things in 2017

Bluetooth 5 promises doubled speeds, quadrupled range and an eight-fold increase in data broadcasting capacity. © Bluetooth SIG

The new Bluetooth standard is now ready for action and should progressively roll out into consumer devices from 2017. Promising a serious increase in performance, Bluetooth 5 is ready to meet the needs of a new generation of connected gadgets with even faster data sharing.

Bluetooth is a widely used wireless communication standard for securely sharing data over short distances between two electronic devices via a specific set of radio waves.

The technology features in many connected devices, such as laptops, smartphones, wireless headphones and smartwatches, allowing them to connect and communicate wirelessly. Today, Bluetooth plays a key role in the development of the Internet of Things (IoT).

The Special Interest Group (SIG), which manages the standard, promises a serious boost in performance with Bluetooth 5, with doubled speeds, quadrupled range and an eight-fold increase in data broadcasting capacity.

The first compatible products are likely to be revealed at the CES consumer technology show in Las Vegas (USA), in January 2017 and, more likely, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (Spain) in February.

More information on Bluetooth 5: bluetooth.com