Wireless & Internet Tech

ABI: IoT Drives Bluetooth Smart Devices

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According to ABI Research, 2017 will mark another milestone in Bluetooth technology through the release of Bluetooth 5 specification, further pushing wireless networking technology as the leading connectivity solution for the IoT.

Bluetooth automationThe analyst forecasts 2021 Bluetooth Smart and Smart Ready device shipments reaching 5 billion units, the result of technical enhancements opening new opportunities, use cases and device types. Outside of mobile space, key IoT market growth areas include smart home and smart lighting, beacons and wearables, among others.

“While smartphones and audio accessories remain Bluetooth’s largest markets, the technology is becoming more attractive to low-power IoT applications,” ABI says. “Though Bluetooth still faces strong competition from the other standards, mesh networking will enable new opportunities for the technology in the smart home, building automation, and emerging IoT markets in which robustness, low latency, scalability, minimal power consumption and strong security are all additional critical requirements.”

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Better Wifi Through MegaMIMO 2.0?

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MIT researchers propose a means to triple wifi data speeds while doubling signal range and ease increasingly congested wireless networks-- MegaMIMO 2.0, a system able to eliminate signal interference.

Mega MIMO 2lThe technology uses a processor, real-time baseband processing system and a transceiver board to vary the frequency range of wifi signals within the required spectrum. This allows multiple independent transmitters to transmit data on the same spectrum to multiple independent receivers, without signals interfering with each other.

“In today’s wireless world, you can’t solve spectrum crunch by throwing more transmitters at the problem, because they will all still be interfering with one another,” the researchers say. “The answer is to have all those access points work with each other simultaneously to efficiently use the available spectrum.”

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Wifi Alliance Details 802.11ac Wave 2

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The Wifi Alliance expands the 802.11ac wifi standard with "Wave 2"-- essentially a means to boost current wifi bandwidths while retaining backwards compatibility.

wifi wave 2According to the alliance Wave 2 doubles the bandwidth per channel to double performance should conditions be favourable. It also has four spatial streams, wider 5GHz channel support and MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input multiple output) support.

“In today’s world, people have more wifi devices per person and per household, and those devices require significantly more bandwidth,” the alliance says. “Wifi Alliance updated the wifi ac program to meet increasing user demands and to stay ahead of emerging applications, while preserving interoperability.”

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Bluetooth Reaches Version 5

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BluetoothAn email by Bluetooth Special Interest Group director Mark Powell reveals the next version of the Bluetooth wireless standard-- Bluetooth 5, an update promising double the range and speed of Bluetooth 4.2.

Named without a point number in the name of simpler marketing, Bluetooth 5 has the support of major technology companies (including Apple and Intel), and features "significant new functionality for connectionless services" such as location-based information and navigations. Such technology is identical to that used by wireless beacons, as well as the Apple AirDrop and Handoff features.

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Devolo Boosts Wifi With Repeater ac

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Devolo Wifi repeaterCustomers wanting a simple means to extend the range of home wifi can find an ideal solution with the Devolo Wifi Repeater ac, a device the company says provides transfer rates reaching up to 1200Mbit/s.

The repeater uses both 2.4 and 5GHz wireless networking bands to allow for more flexibility in automatic channel selection, as well as faster combined networking speeds. It also includes an integrated LAN port for the wired connection of another device, such as a smart TV, PC, game console, STB or NAS drive.

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