With some 250 million Bluetooth-enabled devices in use around the world, the much-vaunted technology for short-distance wireless communications between devices is finally coming of age, only to find that efforts to develop a next generation for WPAN, in which the links will be imbued with more broadband capabilities, have resulted in the emergence of two rival camps.
These are the WiMedia Alliance and the UWB Forum, which are both working on technology for communications in the 10-yards and under sphere. However, the speeds at which the respective implementations differ. The SIG, whose members include Ericsson, Nokia, Microsoft, Motorola, and Intel, is in early talks with both groups.
There are clearly advantages to be garnered from integrating Bluetooth with whatever version of UWB prevails, enabling future devices to use today’s narrowband connectivity for apps where it is appropriate, then switch to UWB for applications such as video that will require greater bandwidth. There will also be the question of guaranteeing compatibility with existing Bluetooth devices.
