Ahead of CEATEC 2023 in Japan, the Bluetooth SIG announced further details on the future development of LE Audio and Bluetooth LE technology, including the addition of greater transmission bandwidth, increased precise location information, and support for 5GHz and 6GHz frequency bands.
LE Audio technology standardIt was first announced at the CES exhibition in early 2020, and it was confirmed that it would use LC3 codec technology to achieve low power consumption and transmit high-quality audio effects. It also incorporates audio sharing functions and adds better connection features for devices such as hearing aids used by the hearing impaired. It also supports Auracast broadcast mode.
Prior to CEATEC 2023 in Japan, the company announced plans to expand the bandwidth supported by LE Audio technology starting in 2024, increasing it from the current 2.4Mbps in the 2GHz band to 8Mbps. This will support higher audio data throughput and enable better utilization of unlicensed 5GHz and 6GHz bands, increasing wireless connectivity flexibility. However, this may vary depending on the availability of these bands in individual countries. Taiwan has already opened up the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi 6E, so support is not expected to be a major issue, but it will likely depend on regulatory approval.
As for positioning accuracy, the new version of Bluetooth LE technology will further reduce the minimum positioning accuracy from 20 meters to 20 centimeters. It is expected that more Bluetooth positioning devices will be able to provide positioning direction and relative distance with more accurate accuracy.
