Wi-Fi Direct to overtake Bluetooth

Taiwan makers of wireless communication and digital broadcasting products forecast Wi-Fi Direct, also called Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer, will end Bluetooth’s reign in the PC, telecom and consumer electronics sectors. Although the latter has a lower power consumption,

Wi-Fi P2P boasts better security. It also enables a longer transmission range of up to 100m compared with Bluetooth’s 10 to 20m. The bandwidth reaches 300Mbps, which is 100 times larger than Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. The main difference in application is that Bluetooth defines file transfer, advanced audio distribution and handsfree profiles, while Wi-Fi Direct adopts TCP/IP network applications such as ftp, http and DLNA without definition.

Wi-Fi P2P can connect devices directly without sending package via access points, improving spot-finding problem and increasing data throughput. Because of this and the technology’s lower cost, AzureWave is even positive Wi-Fi Direct will overtake Bluetooth 3.0+HS in the long run. Wi-Fi Direct also does not define applications that are open to chipset providers, unlike Bluetooth that leaves compatibility issues to consumers.

In PCs, Wi-Fi Direct is regarded as a promising technology to enable faster PAN connectivity. It allows WLAN devices to link to one another without a traditional hotspot, and applies WLAN for other PAN uses. Wi-Fi P2P complies with 802.11g or higher, and supports WPA2 security, WPS and WMM. A compliant device can also be used as a P2P group owner and a P2P client.

Currently, applications cover TVs, cameras, monitors, projectors, printers, mobile phones, set-top boxes, access points and computers. With increasing popularity, companies in Taiwan expect yield of Wi-Fi-enabled devices to continue growing in the years ahead.