The USB standard setting group, USB Implementers Forum, is working on technology that will enable data transfer at a rate of 20Gbps.
The non-profit group, mainly responsible for promotion and marketing of USB, Wireless USB, USB On-The-Go, and maintaining specifications, is currently finalising the USB 3.1 specification, which can transfer data at a rate of 10Gbps.
USB Implementers Forum has reportedly clocked speed of 20Gbps during simulation test and it could push USB to the league of Thunderbold 2 connector, which has been developed by Intel and Apple.
Thunderbolt 2 technology has two channels on the same connector allowing 10 Gbps data transfer in both directions, which is said to transfer data from one device to other, 20 times faster than with USB 2 and up to 12 times faster than with FireWire 800.
USB Implementers Forum chairman, Jeff Ravencraft, told PCWorld: "Over the copper wire we’re already at 10, we know we can grow the performance."
Ravencraft added for now USB 3.1 is sufficient and there is no hurry to ratchet up the speed.
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The forum also wants users to make USB as charging point for the gadgets including PCs, mobile devices, TVs and even home appliances.
However, as per the USB 3.0 specifications, it can transmit 100 watts of power which can charge only HDTVs.
Ravencraft added: "In the future, you might have a refrigerator powered by USB."
"One of the key things of charging is eliminating this electronic waste. These landfills are filling up with custom chargers."
In December 2013, the group had announced that the development of the next generation of USB connector has begun.
The groups said, the new USB Type-C connector, built initially on existing USB 3.1 and USB 2.0 technologies, is being developed to help enable thinner and sleeker product designs. It had also added that the specifications for USB 3.1 will be completed by the middle of this year.
Separately, Microchip Technology has unveiled a new family of USB power delivery (UPD) controllers at Computex in Taiwan called UPD100X which allows as single USB cable to transfer data as well as send 100W of power.
