Bluetooth Adopts Ultra-Wideband

Technology
Posted By: Ryan on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 8:35:33 AM

The Bluetooth SIG today announced its selection of the WiMedia Alliance ultra-
wideband (UWB) spec for integration with current Bluetooth wireless technology.
This move will give Bluetooth data transfer rates a much needed boost to enable high
quality video and audio applications for portable devices, multi-media projectors and
television sets.

This new version of Bluetooth technology will use orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing (MB-OFDM) version of ultra-wideband (UWB) for integration with
current Bluetooth wireless technology. At the same time, Bluetooth technology will
continue catering to the needs of very low power applications such as mice, GPS kits,
keyboards and wireless headsets, enabling devices to select the most appropriate
physical radio for the application requirements, thereby offering the best of both
worlds.

It is critical that the UWB technology be compatible with Bluetooth radios and
maintain the core attributes of Bluetooth wireless technology – low power, low cost,
ad-hoc networking, built-in security features, and ability to integrate into mobile
devices. Backwards compatibility with the over 500 million Bluetooth devices
currently on the market is also an important consideration. The Bluetooth SIG is
satisfied that MB-OFDM UWB technology, offered by the WiMedia Alliance, is
capable of meeting all of these requirements. The two organizations are dedicated to
working together to ensure that the combined high-speed solution is optimized for
mobile devices with very low power consumption.

One of the key components to the agreement between the Bluetooth SIG and the
WiMedia Alliance will help UWB achieve global regulatory acceptance. Both parties
have agreed to develop a high speed, high data rate Bluetooth solution that utilizes the
unlicensed radio spectrum above 6 GHz. This move answers concerns voiced by
regulatory bodies in both Europe and Asia.

“Companies working with Bluetooth technology want to stay one step ahead of
consumer demand and deliver a wireless technology that meets the global market
needs for the personal area network – today and in the future,” said John Barr, Ph. D.,
chairman of the board of directors, Bluetooth SIG, and director, standards realization,
Motorola. “There is now an opportunity for the WiMedia Alliance to work with the
Bluetooth SIG to define the Bluetooth technology/UWB implementation that will
work for the Bluetooth SIG, our members and end users.”

Next Steps
The Bluetooth SIG Core Specification Working Group Charter and UWB Feature
Requirements Document (FRD) have been approved by the Bluetooth SIG Board of
Directors, signaling that work may commence. The requirements set by the UWB
study group in the UWB FRD define what has to be done to create a solution
appropriate for adoption by the Bluetooth SIG. Both groups will immediately begin
work together on the specification draft within the Bluetooth SIG Core Specification
Working Group. The Bluetooth SIG estimates this process to last approximately one
year, with the first Bluetooth technology/UWB solution chip sets available for
prototyping in Q2 2007.