Global body approves version of Bluetooth standard

LOS ANGELES: A global panel that sets electronics standards has approved its

own version of Bluetooth technology for short-range wireless networks, the

organization said on Thursday, paving the way for wider acceptance of the

standard that links cell phones, computers and other devices.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, an international body

that sets the standards for a range of electrical and electronic systems, said

its 802.15.1 standard for wireless personal area networks is fully compatible

with the Bluetooth 1.1 standard promoted by an industry group.

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology designed as a replacement for

cables and wires between devices. It has been envisioned as a way to connect

laptops to the Internet via cell phones, and for handheld organizers to print to

standard printers, among other functions.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group, which promotes the standard, is backed

by major networking and wireless industry players like 3Com Corp., Nokia,

Ericsson and Intel Corp., among others.

While Bluetooth has been slow to develop in comparison to other personal-use

wireless standards it has recently begun to catch on, with a number of cell

phone makers beginning to build it in to their phones and personal digital

assistant makers releasing add-on Bluetooth adapters for their devices.

The 802.15.1 standard was developed by a subcommittee of the IEEE's broader

802 Standards Committee, which is working on a number of specifications for

wireless networks, including the much more commonly known 802.11 wireless

network system used for high-speed access in homes and offices.

While 802.11 can transmit data as far as about 100 meters at speeds of up to

54 megabits per second, Bluetooth and the new, compatible 802.15.1 standard

operate in a range of about 10 meters at a small fraction of 802.11's speed. But

both standards operate in the same frequency range 2.4 GHz, and the Bluetooth

SIG has pushed the two standards as complementary for everyday business and

personal use.

Within the last week, major consumer electronics companies like Apple

Computer Inc., printer maker Epson America Inc., and PDA maker Palm Inc. have

released Bluetooth device adapters for their products.