Wibree to be developed by Bluetooth group

Wibree, a technology for ultra-low-power (ULP) wireless personal area networking (WPAN) communications, which was created by Nokia Corp., is to be taken under the wing of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group.

Nokia has been developing Wibree since 2001. The technology provides a short-range radio link of up to 30 feet between electronic devices. It uses significantly less power than alternative systems and is designed to connect devices with low power capacity.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group, an industry consortium formed by companies involved in WPAN communications, has now taken on the responsibility for developing Wibree technology. Nokia itself is part of the Bluetooth SIG.

The group will drive development of the technology by creating specifications and developing standards for its implementation in devices such as headsets, hands-free devices and printers.

This should help to speed the adoption of Wibree technology and encourage its acceptance.

Wibree operates in the same 2.4GHz band as Bluetooth and WiFi, but is complementary to these technologies as it is designed specifically for applications where a button cell battery suffices for intermittent, short-message communications, with the radio idling for the rest of the time.

The technology has a range of applications - a Wibree chip in a phone could access and display a channel guide for a TV for example.