Bluetooth SIG Meets December Deadline for Release of Bluetooth 5 Spec

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group officially adopted Bluetooth 5 as the latest version of the Bluetooth core specification this week, setting a path for longer range, faster speed and broader broadcast capabilities (see 1610130054). Whole-home and building coverage is a major upgrade in the latest Bluetooth spec, said a Bluetooth SIG announcement. Longer range provides whole home and building coverage for more reliable connections, it said, and higher speed enables more responsive, high-performance devices. Increased broadcast message size increases the data sent for improved and more “context relevant” solutions, it said. Bluetooth 5 includes updates that help reduce the potential for interference with other wireless technologies, said the SIG. Of the 48 billion internet-enabled devices expected to be installed by 2021, a third will include Bluetooth, it said, citing ABI Research data.