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Bluetooth Adopts Ultra-Wideband

Technology

Posted By:Ryanon 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,keyboardsand 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 ofconsumer 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 UWBstudy group in the UWB FRD define what has to be done to create a solution

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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.