Perhaps a victim of its own success, the global proliferation of Bluetooth® technology in headsets, phones, watches, and cars has sparked multiple myths about what the technology can and can’t do. In truth, Bluetooth technology powers a wide range of essential solutions, from home automation and indoor navigation to commercial and industrial innovations

Myth: Bluetooth is Reliable Up to 30 Meters

For years, there’s been a widely held opinion that Bluetooth® technology is only good for short-range applications. This is due, in large part, to how the technology is used. Since the most well-known use cases, such as audio and wearables, have design requirements that dictate a shorter range, these developers chose to implement the technology and hardware in a way that delivers a max range of 10 to 30 meters.

In fact, the effective, reliable distance between Bluetooth devices can be greater than a kilometer and can even support reliable remote control of beyond-visual-range (BVR) drones. Bluetooth technology is a fit-for-purpose solution, and several factors can influence the effective range — from radio spectrum and transmit power to antenna gain and path loss.  

The variable range is proof of the technology’s versatility. Unlike other wireless technologies, the wide spectrum of achievable and reliable distances gives developers tremendous flexibility to create solutions that meet the precise needs of their target use case. Check out other factors — such as receiver sensitivity, antenna gain, and PHY — that play a role in determining how far Bluetooth range can go.

Myth: Bluetooth Can’t Go Through Walls

Think about when you’re trying to hear someone in the next room. The difference between the volume and clarity of what you can hear differs depending on what the walls are made of. You have an easier time hearing what’s on the other side of a sheetrock wall than you do if the wall is made of concrete. But, in either case, you can still hear a sound if it’s loud enough. The same idea can be applied to radio signals.

Path loss reduces signal strength as it travels through the air. It occurs naturally and is impacted by environmental factors like walls, windows, and other obstacles that might deteriorate the signal. But radio waves can still pass through objects, even concrete walls and floors, meaning that a Bluetooth® signal is not limited to the room you’re in. These barriers will have an impact on the overall range of the signal, but they don’t block it.

Myth: Bluetooth is a Consumer Technology

You’re not alone if you think of Bluetooth as a consumer-only technology. There’s widespread misunderstanding about the technology’s commercial and industrial potential. This, again, is due to the history of its use. In the last 20 years, Bluetooth technology created and cultivated hundreds of new global markets with audio streaming and short-range data transfer being two of the most prevalent. And while Bluetooth has made its bread and butter on your headsets, fitness trackers, and smartphones, that is just one aspect of the tech.

All over the world, developers use Bluetooth® technology to achieve wireless connections at distances of more than a kilometer, and these connections are the foundation of a new generation use cases like industrial asset tracking and large-scale sensor networks

Bluetooth technology can do a lot more than given credit for, and, through innovation in consumer applications, it continues to enhance the lives of millions of people around the world. But, in some ways, its success created a narrow perception of its capabilities. In truth, Bluetooth solutions are used to solve a multitude of less commonly known commercial and industrial challenges. 

Check out the Bluetooth range estimator and see how far Bluetooth range can go for you.

FEATURED TOOL

The Bluetooth Range Estimator

Calculate the expected range between two Bluetooth devices.

TRY IT NOW

The Importance of Standardizing Wireless Lighting Control

Lighting control systems are deployed in offices, retail, healthcare, factories, and other commercial facilities…

Six Bluetooth Mesh Feature Enhancements to Get Excited About

The new Bluetooth mesh feature enhancements offer more robust security, improved network efficiency, reduced…

What’s New with the Latest Bluetooth Mesh Specification

In the evolving landscape of IoT, Bluetooth mesh topology has emerged as an important…

Bluetooth SIG introduces Networked Lighting Control (NLC) Profile

Silvair welcomes Bluetooth® NLC as an important milestone in the development of a global…

Why Go Wireless for Commercial Lighting Control?

Figure 1: Wireless Shipments Trends Lighting control systems feature an intelligent network of individually…

Creating Optimal Learning Environments: How Lighting Control Revolutionizes Schools

LED Lighting plays a crucial role in the overall quality of educational environments. It…

The Benefits of Bluetooth Networked Lighting Control

Lighting control systems feature an intelligent network of individually addressable and sensor-rich luminaires and…

Bluetooth® Mesh Feature Enhancements Summary

This paper summarizes the recent Bluetooth® Mesh feature enhancements and provides references to other…

Bluetooth® Mesh Subnet Bridging - Technical Overview

This paper examines subnet bridging, a new feature introduced in the Bluetooth® Mesh protocol…

The Latest in HADM with Bluetooth LE

HADM, or high accuracy distance measurement using Bluetooth does exactly what it says –…

ABI Snapshot - How the Bluetooth® Electronic Shelf Label Standard Will Impact the Smart Retail Market

ABI Research Senior Director Andrew Zignani and Bluetooth SIG’s Senior Product Marketing Manager Kayla…

How the Bluetooth® Electronic Shelf Label Standard Will Impact the Smart Retail Market

ABI Research explores how the recent arrival of the new Bluetooth® Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) standard will help create an interoperable ESL ecosystem that can address many of the challenges being faced by retail and other environments.

ABI Snapshot - 2023 Bluetooth Market Update

The Bluetooth® Market Update, released annually by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), highlights…

Retail Pharmacy

A leading retailer is collaborating with Wiliot, an ambient Internet of Things (IoT) pioneer,…

2023 Bluetooth® Market Update

Featuring new market insights and industry forecasts from ABI Research and other analyst firms...

EJOT | INDUTRAX Case Study

EJOT, headquartered in North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany, is a group of medium-sized companies with production…

LE Audio: The Future of Bluetooth® Audio

ABI Research outlines how the arrival of LE Audio is set to transform the Bluetooth audio ecosystem and the impact it will have on Bluetooth® audio market forecasts.

Achieving The Best Wireless Performance And Connectivity For LargeScale Industrial IoT Solutions In Hazardous Area Environments

Today’s Industrial IoT enterprises operating in hazardous area environments are faced with multiple connectivity…

Bluetooth SIG Announces Auracast™ Broadcast Audio, Allowing Unlimited Audio Sharing to Earbuds, Speakers or Hearing Devices

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the trade association that oversees Bluetooth® technology, today…

Bluetooth Location Services

See 8 use cases for enhancing building efficiencies and creating a better visitor experience, discover new data that supports the latest trends and forecasts, and find out what’s driving the rapid adoption of location services solutions.

Smart Solutions Using Network Lighting Infrastructures

An intelligent network lighting control infrastructure helps business owners and staff know more about…

IoT Technology Offer Solutions for Supply Chain Woes

Many small issues and slowdowns can be removed with the power of Bluetooth networks…

Designing and Developing Bluetooth® Internet Gateways

Learn about Bluetooth internet gateways, how to make them secure and scalable, and design and implement your own working prototype gateway and web application for use with either Bluetooth LE Peripherals or with Bluetooth mesh networks.

How to Make Wearables Bluetooth Mesh Provisioners

Learn how to create applications for smartwatches and other platforms that can monitor and control nodes in a Bluetooth mesh network.

Lighting as a Platform

See how connected lighting systems are being used as a platform to enable advanced building services like wayfinding, asset tracking, and space utilization to improve the ROI of smart building investments.

An Introduction to the Bluetooth Mesh Proxy Function

Learn how to create applications for smartphones and other platforms which can monitor and control nodes in a Bluetooth mesh network.

Build a Smarter Building with Blue

See how Bluetooth increases reliability, reduces costs, and enhances your smart building ROI.

 Get Help