Starting with July 18, Bluetooth will start working on offering users the ability to turn to mesh networking when using its wireless technology.
On Tuesday, the group that oversees the Bluetooth standard, Bluetooth SIG, released the technical specifications for Bluetooth Mesh. This will allow low power Bluetooth devices to act and create a mesh network.
Usually, wireless communications go from one point to the other without passing through any other sources. For example, they offer a straight, in-line connection between a router to a PC or back. Still, the other device can be too far away. In such cases, the user will have to find a solution on their own.
Mesh Networking: A Brief Explanation
Now, mesh networking is a possible solution to such an issue, as it helps data travel over longer distances. It can do so as the communication “hops” between devices. Namely, if the signal from the router cannot readily reach the device from the first try, another device, connected to the same network, will help it reach its target.
This will take the message and re-transmit it to its intended target. In any case, this will enable the communication to travel over longer distances. It will also help it reach its goal as the retransmission can pass from one device to another more than once.
Bluetooth mesh networking will reportedly be particularly useful for smart home technologies. This is because it will allow a router to transmit data to any device in the house, not just those within close range.
Mesh devices will also be quite energy efficient. Usually, sending out a fast signal over a longer distance can require a lot of energy. However, thanks to mesh networking, this can be transmitted with lower-power signals. These will be picked up by a device and then simply retransmitted from one to another.
Bluetooth Mesh will be added to devices that can already support Bluetooth 4.0 or 5.0. As it is, new hardware will not be required for it. Nonetheless, the technology will still depend on whether or not the devices’ manufacturers will be releasing an update for it, or not.
It remains to be seen when this new Bluetooth technology will actually reach the market or when they’ll become usable.
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