TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • Open RAN
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • 5G
  • Access Evolution
  • Private Networks
  • Cloud Native
  • Edge
  • Open Networking
  • Sustainability
  • AI, Analytics and Automation
  • 6G Research and Innovation
  • Security
  • More Topics
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • |
  • About
  • Contact
  • |
  • Connect with us
  • 5G
  • 6G Research and Innovation
  • Access Evolution
  • AI, Analytics and Automation
  • Cloud Native
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Edge
  • Open Networking
  • Open RAN
  • Private Networks
  • Security
  • Sustainability
  • Connect with TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

Devices

Devices

ABI Research Predicts Wireless Connectivity Gap to Widen as Bluetooth Enabled Device Shipments Reach 19 Billion over the Next Five Years

Via ABI Research Media Releases

Dec 16, 2015

London, United Kingdom - 16 Dec 2015

Share: ImageImageImage

In its latest report on wireless connectivity ICs, ABI Research , a leader in technology market intelligence, anticipates annual Bluetooth enabled device shipments to increase from 2.8 billion units in 2015 to more than 4.6 billion in 2020, with a total of 19 billion devices to be equipped with Bluetooth technology over the next 5 years. Smartphones will continue to represent the bulk of the Bluetooth product market, accounting for more than 45% of shipments in 2020. However, the shares of emerging market segments, including beacons, smart lighting, home automation and consumer robotics devices, will increase significantly within the next five years to collectively represent more than 20% of the total market by 2020.

Read ABI Research’s Wireless Connectivity ICs report.

“The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which added more than 2,800 new members this year alone, made significant enhancements to Bluetooth specifications in order to increase its viability for IoT applications,” says Andrew Zignani, Research Analyst at ABI Research. “The recently announced Bluetooth Developer Studio (BDS) will also help Bluetooth technology gain more traction among the developer community and accelerate innovation time to market, most notably in nascent IoT applications.”

This is set to continue in 2016, as Bluetooth evolves toward becoming a key enabler of larger scale networks consisting of increasingly heterogeneous devices. Significant upcoming Bluetooth technological enhancements include a quadrupling of range capacity and doubling of throughput. The range increase will better suit Bluetooth for full-home coverage and outdoor applications, which will enhance robustness and reliability. The increase in throughput from 1Mbps to 2Mbps will not only reduce latency and increase responsiveness, but it will also provide Bluetooth with a very compelling performance to power consumption ratio when compared with competing technologies, such as 802.15.4 (limited to 250Kbps) or Wi-Fi (higher power consumption).

The ubiquity of smartphone devices will also play a factor, allowing Bluetooth to take advantage of unique use cases and opportunities when compared with competing low-power technologies not present in this space. Bluetooth is also working toward adopting mesh networking within the standard, providing the scalability and range required for wireless sensor network applications. However, it remains to be seen how fast Bluetooth mesh will hit the market and which use cases will take advantage of the technology in the short to medium term.

Yet, according to the report, there will be considerable challenges in terms of security, provisioning and interoperability that suppliers will need to target over the next few years. Chipset suppliers, such as Nordic Semiconductor, are working toward integrating IPv6 over Bluetooth Smart, which will help provide the foundation for IP-based application layer level interoperability between different types of devices operating on different transport layers, such as 802.15.4 and Wi-Fi.

“As the IoT incorporates a more diverse range of device types, the adoption of a common language across various connectivity types will become increasingly critical in ensuring interoperability and helping to grow the overall market,” concludes Zignani. “In addition, the development of Bluetooth and NFC combo ICs can assist with the secure provisioning of headless devices, such as smart light bulbs, sensors, and other IoT devices, simplifying the installation process while strengthening the overall security of the network.”

Ultimately, ABI Research finds there to be enormous opportunities for companies such as Broadcom, Qualcomm, NXP and Nordic Semiconductor, among others, in the coming years, as Bluetooth continues to evolve and enable new and unique use cases and applications.

These findings are part of ABI Research’s Wireless Connectivity Service, which includes research reports, market data, insights and competitive assessments.

Related Topics
  • 6G R&I,
  • ABI Research,
  • AI, Analytics & Automation ,
  • Devices,
  • Europe,
  • News,
  • Research and Trials,
  • Tracker,
  • Zero Touch & Automation

More Like This

Open RAN Summit

Hardware innovation for Open RAN deployments

Jun 23, 2022

DSP Leaders World Forum

DSP Leaders World Forum 2022 Interview: Johan Christenson, Cleura

May 25, 2022

DSP Leaders World Forum

How DigitalRoute is Helping Telcos Adapt to the Cloud

May 24, 2022

DSP Leaders World Forum

DSP Leaders World Forum 2022 Interview: Mattias Fridström, Arelion

May 24, 2022

Digital Platforms & Services

Telefónica leads the financing round that Durcal closes for 8 million euros

May 20, 2022

This content extract was originally sourced from an external website (ABI Research Media Releases) and is the copyright of the external website owner. TelecomTV is not responsible for the content of external websites. Legal Notices

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

10:14

Executive Interview: Vodafone’s Lucia De Miguel Albertos on the ultimate RAN Intelligent Controller

39:34

Figuring out the TCO of Open RAN

6:47

Dell's Role in Open RAN

4:24

Executive Interview: Neil McRae on BT's Open RAN Plans

TelecomTV
Company
  • About Us
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
Our Brands
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • Great Telco Debate
  • TelecomTV Events
Get In Touch
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 448 1070
Connect With Us
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of Use
  • Legal Notices
  • Help

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media.

© Decisive Media Limited 2022. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).