Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limited to 2.5 milliwatts, giving it a very short range of up to 10 metres (33 ft). It employs UHFradio waves in the ISM bands, from 2.402GHz to 2.48GHz. It serves as an alternative to wired connections, and is mainly used to exchange files between nearby portable devices, to connect cell phones and music players with wireless headphones, wireless speakers, HIFI systems, or car audio, and for wireless transmission between TVs and soundbars.

Bluetooth is managed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG), which has more than 35,000 member companies in the areas of telecommunication, computing, networking, and consumer electronics. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standardized Bluetooth as IEEE 802.15.1 but no longer maintains the standard. The Bluetooth SIG oversees the development of the specification, manages the qualification program, and protects the trademarks. A manufacturer must meet Bluetooth SIG standards to market it as a Bluetooth device. A network of patents applies to the technology, which is licensed to individual qualifying devices. As of 2021, 4.7 billion Bluetooth integrated circuit chips are shipped annually. Bluetooth was first demonstrated in space in 2024, an early test envisioned to enhance IoT capabilities.