Bluetooth 5 & How it will influence IoT

Bluetooth has undoubtedly made headway into our lives since it was first standardized in 1999. From being tagged as a hands-free connectivity device that was in vogue since the early ‘00s flashing blue lights, it is no longer a technologically-driven wearable. Bluetooth in recent times has emerged as the smartest innovation that will pave the way for a flexible IoT platform; an instrument of future connectivity.

Bluetooth 5 is the new kid on the block. If you are looking to understand all the ways in which Bluetooth 5 can influence the IoT, here they come.

But, what is Bluetooth 5?

Bluetooth 5 is a futuristic platform with multiple uses. It is through Bluetooth 5 that you will be able to deliver reliable IoT connections by mobilizing the use of beacons. It is through these beacons you will be able to bridge the gap between connections alongside extending efforts in the direction of a seamless IoT experience.

What are Beacons?
Beacon is the name given to Apple’s technology standard that permits mobile apps running on Android and iOS devices to transmit signals. These signals help such devices to react with the physical environment.

The Premise of Bluetooth 5 with IoT
A Bluetooth fails to deliver the capabilities demanded by an IoT platform since its performance is governed by a limitation; a specific number of connections that either your tablet or phone can support and nothing beyond that. A smartphone can be connected to a maximum of 8 devices including headphones, speakers and Microsoft Sync, which is an automotive system. However, when it concerns the effective management of a smart phone , you may need to manage and control numerous devices like sensors, locks and light bulbs. This requirement paved the way for an advanced technology that will help you extract the most out of the it, in addition to providing a simplified means to control cross-functional IoT devices.

The Offerings of Bluetooth 5 in Contrast to Standard Bluetooth 4.2 Platform
Since you already know that Bluetooth 5 is an advanced technology, you would be curious to know about its novel offerings. iLumi in 2014 pioneered the use of Bluetooth Mesh Tek platform which allows you to control 50 iLumi LED Smart Light Bulbs through a smart device. In addition to this, the novel platform can still facilitate the connectivity of your smartphone with devices such as automobiles, audio speakers and headsets. To sum it all, the following is the rundown of all the advantages of Bluetooth Mesh Tek platform over the earlier Bluetooth 4.2 standard, in the context of IoT.

1. Facilitates Enhanced Data Speeds While Establishing Connections
   iLumi came out with Bluetooth 5 Mesh Tek modules in 2017 as a fitting reply to the deficiencies shown up by Bluetooth 4.2. When Bluetooth 4.2 LE (Low Energy) was unable to broadcast large volumes of data to IoT devices without meshing, the novel platform addressed this concern. Delivering twice the data speed of the standard Bluetooth 4.2, Bluetooth 5 was successful in increasing the capacity of data broadcasts by a massive 800%. This development will eventually hasten up not only the single way broadcast mesh transmissions but also lead to a speedy two way direct connection of mesh networks.
2. The Summary of Bluetooth 5 Benefits
   The headline which will aptly describe Bluetooth 5 can be summarized as: Double Speed (2 X Speed), Quadrupled Range (4 X Range) and eight times the output (8 X Output). Putting these figures in the language you can understand, Bluetooth 5 leads to higher bandwidth, supports a longer range along with permitting an exchange of increased packet sizes. Its data speed that can range anywhere between 1 Mb per second and 2 Mb per second. Talking about the range, Bluetooth 5 can function over a distance of over 700 meters in contrast to Bluetooth 4.2 which becomes non-operational beyond a 100 meter range.
3. The Range of Bluetooth 5 Helps Environments Away From Home
   Since the star attraction concerning the range of Bluetooth 5 over Bluetooth 4.2 was earlier explained, this novel standard is all set to bring out sensors, lighting and alarms which can be controlled effectively. All you need is your smartphone to control numerous devices without banking on a Wi-Fi connectivity that is required by IoT platforms. This high range of Bluetooth 5 will lend a helping hand to agricultural and rural environments which can benefit from horticultural lighting using iLumi Smart LED Lighting. Using the Bluetooth 5 Mesh Tek network, you can transmit a signal to a device which is connected to a rural building, via mesh.

   Tracking is another feature of Bluetooth 5 which demands special attention. You can make use of the Bluetooth item tracker which can transmit signals through the iLumi Smart Lights to another Bluetooth meshed device. This way, you can control the lights that are far beyond the range of your smart phone. Thus by increasing the operation range, you will be able to establish a better connectivity with IoT devices that are way ahead of domestic connections.

4. The Concept of Bluetooth Mesh Networks
   If you noticed, the earlier versions of Bluetooth meshed devices it had simple “flooding” and “broadcast” approaches like “on” and “off” commands to a group of IoT devices. When you give same instructions over and over again, you will be able to control them using a master device or a single smart phone. You can call this process as an IoT sprinkler which responds to simple commands by sending small amounts of data across multiple devices.
5. Establishing a Direct Connect With Bluetooth Mesh Networks
   A smart home with a number of display gadgets, projectors and smart bulbs calls for two way communication. Along with that, it is the need to constantly update your firmware which requires more data when compared to the standard broadcast meshing. To overcome this concern, you now have the answer coming from iLumi’s Mesh Tek connection.

   Through the Mesh Tek connection based approach, you will be able to apply a meshing approach that will facilitate you to send direct messages to a specific device without influencing other devices. This connection based mesh approach offers another advantage too. You will be in a position to establish a two way communication channel between multiple IoT devices that will pop up troubleshooting codes, firmware update notifications, alerts and data logic.

   Making use of this Mesh Tek connection will help manufacturers make the most of the Bluetooth 5 Ready modules. This advancement will thus pave the way for the creation of reliable and traceable connections with a support coming from effective troubleshooting tools.

6. Statistics Related to Bluetooth 5 in the IoT Space
   Through the use of Bluetooth 5 supported by meshing software and hardware, you will be successful in avoiding the use of bridges and hubs. Along with it, , the dependence on Wi-Fi connectivity can also be eliminated. In this context, it will come as a surprise to you that there are more than 30,000 Bluetooth Mesh Tek enabled networks operating without a hub. This functionality can help revamp the process in which Bluetooth devices transmit information.

   Another benefit comes in the form of drifting away from the conventional model of apps-paired-to-device to IoT devices that are dictated by connections. In a couple of years from now, say by 2020, it will not be a matter of amazement anymore when you will get to see more than one-thirds of the IoT devices making the most of the Bluetooth 5 technology.

7. Bluetooth 5 In Retail Spaces
   All in an attempt to attract and retain the attention of commercial and retail customers, you as a marketer would bank on the benefits of location based advertising strategies and messaging capabilities. Through Bluetooth 5, marketers can enjoy better indoor navigation when tagged with shopping malls and other areas which experience heavy footfalls.
   All such high-traffic environments will demand a significant use of advertising messages to be transmitted to the audience at an event or in a shopping center.

   Bluetooth 5 comes as a boon to such scenarios, enabling you to engage better with your customers who are connected to certain compatible devices, without asking for real connectivity. Bringing in navigation and location functionalities, Bluetooth 5 with the help of Beacons can transmit customer-centric information through a connection-less network. This functionality is all set to boost the quality of messages that are broadcast to customers.

   In a nutshell, you do not need to either install an app or initiate any sort of connection set-ups to be at the receiving end of location-specific information. All thanks to Bluetooth Beacons, you will be able to enjoy the luxury of richer and intelligent messages so that you can make well-informed choices and purchases while shopping.

8. The Upcoming Ecosystem of Bluetooth 5 Devices to Watch Out For
   All thanks to iLumi, you will now experience the benefits of an iLumi Smartstrip; an advanced wireless lighting system without routers, bridges and other installation. Tagged as the world’s first LED strip that can be used for indoor or outdoor illuminating requirements, this is a Bluetooth 5 enabled product. Incorporating the Mesh Tek’s Over the Air (OTA) firmware, this product comes with innovative features and functions.

   The stage is also set for new Bluetooth 5 chipsets that can be assembled into IoT devices offering you a high level of inter-operability. With these upcoming Bluetooth 5 enabled products, you will be able to capitalize on the long range and high speed data that will tremendously influence the online IoT space.

9. The Right Level of Security
   Any device that connects to a network needs to be secure, especially when it comes to IoT devices. An IoT network which finds its applications in the sphere of healthcare poses specific challenges. With a number of cyber-attacks against healthcare, hospital IT should look into every aspect of the security of connected devices. Securing such networks from ransomware and security breaches is undoubtedly the need of the hour.

   When hospital staff and patients are connected to different devices via the Bluetooth 5 and wireless connectivity, the hospital IT management should incorporate new wireless technologies without deviating from their pre-defined standards of security and compliance. It is left to the discretion of device manufacturers to come up with an optimum level of security that they deem fit.

10. The Promise Delivered by Internet of Bluetooth Things
    If you look at the emerging scenario from the device developers’ point of view, you will realize that Bluetooth 5 is a “cheap and best” proposition. You don’t have to invest in a gateway or a dongle. You don’t need an additional peripheral to support your IoT network. Harmonizing with a host of wireless protocols, you will be able to make the most of the mesh networking principle that is applied to all the earlier versions of Bluetooth devices.

Closing Thoughts: –
After being informed about all the benefits that Bluetooth 5 offers to IoT, you will come to the conclusion that Bluetooth 5 promotes the growth of commercial and consumer-based IoT products including smart lighting. Providing the best and workable alternative to the high-speed Wi-Fi networks that are in vogue today, you can enjoy the benefits of an effectively controlled network that is high on performance and safety level.