Growing demand for audio devices, investment in sensing technology and dual audio streaming will drive growth in Bluetooth 5.0 devices over the next decade, said Allied Market Research Wednesday. It forecast a compound annual growth rate of 10.9% from 2022 to 2031, reaching $11.7 billion.

The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) announced the USB4 2.0 specification, enabling 80 Gbps performance over the USB Type-C cable and connector. The updated spec doubles the USB maximum aggregate bandwidth, which will benefit high-performance displays, storage and USB-based hubs and docks. USB Type-C and USB Power Delivery specs have also been updated to support the higher data performance, the organization said. Guidelines for identifying certified USB 80 Gbps solutions and cables will follow USB-IF’s new unified branding and marketing program, it said, reminding members, “USB specification names and technical terminology are not intended for use when describing USB capabilities to end consumers.”

Tighter rules for online platforms got final approval Tuesday from EU government ministers. The Digital Services Act (DSA) governs providers of intermediary services such as social media, online marketplaces, "very large online platforms and very large search engines," the EU Council noted. Very large platforms are those that reach 45 million or more users in the EU. Bigger services with more societal impact will be subject to tougher rules than smaller enterprises. The act places special obligations on online marketplaces to combat the sale of illegal products and services; introduces measures mandating that platforms react quickly to illegal content; and bars platforms from using targeted advertising based on the use of minors' personal data. Very large platforms and search engines will have to offer users a system for recommending content that's not based on profiling, and analyze the systemic risks they create for dissemination of illegal content or adverse effects on fundamental rights. The DSA also includes a crisis response mechanism to fight manipulation of online information in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, making it possible to gauge the impact of the activities of very large search engines and platforms on the crisis. The European Parliament approved the DSA in July (see 2207050003). "If the EU is serious about protecting consumers and leading the world when it comes to regulating the online environment, it is crucial that the Digital Services Act is effectively applied and enforced," said European Consumer Organisation Deputy Director General Ursula Pachl.

Internet users in North America are facing significant connectivity issues despite increases in connection speeds, reported network diagnostics company RouteThis Monday. Though upstream and downstream speeds have risen dramatically, “pandemic-related behavioral shifts and device upgrades have increased demand on home Wi-Fi environments,” it said. “Every new device added to a home network comes with new requirements and increases the opportunity for a poor subscriber experience,” said RouteThis. North America’s home networks host the world’s highest median number of devices, with nine in the average household, and it’s likely “at least one will suffer from a bad connection,” it said. Up to half an ISP’s “support engagements” can be traced back to problems with the home Wi-Fi setup, rather than with the lines or equipment itself, said the company. Its data shows about 25% of diagnostic scans “reveal a less congested Wi-Fi channel available, while 30% indicate an underlying problem of signal strength, even with no issues with the home internet connection,” it said.

Agriculture, healthcare, education and entertainment will all get major changes in a 10G future, NCTA blogged Tuesday. Citing an analysis by Future Today Institute in partnership with the cable industry group, NCTA said cable's high-speed and high-capacity data networks, when delivering 10G, will enable smart farming using sensors and nanotechnology for real-time monitoring and autonomous harvesting of produce, plus widespread use of wearables and smart-home sensors to capture health data, along with many medical appointments happening virtually. It said 10G will also allow immersive, remote educational and entertainment experiences and artificial intelligence-driven lessons.

The deployment of 6G by 2029 and its “widespread commercialization” by 2032 will require heavy investment in “distributed computing” and AI, reported ABI Research Thursday. As 5G’s commercial rollout continues, the deployment of distributed computing has become progressively more important, it said. Distributed computing, also called “edge-to-cloud” compute, is the use of “disaggregated resources to perform compute operations,” it said. In the 5G era, distributed computing has played a “supportive” role, but as service providers transition to 6G, distributed computing will be given a “leading” role, it said.

T-Mobile said Wednesday it expanded the footprint of its 5G Home Internet service in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania “where more than three million households still have no access to home broadband.” More than 9 million homes in the region are now eligible for the service, the carrier said.

Demand for in-building networks was increasing before the start of COVID-19, and that trend continues, Volker Jungnickel, Technical University of Berlin engineering professor, said during an IEEE Future Networks webinar Wednesday. Jungnickel highlighted the promise of new technologies like distributed multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) and light fidelity (Li-Fi). The IoT will mostly use in-building networks, he said. There will likely be a “gap” between how 5G turns out and expectations, and “in-building networks can help close that gap,” he said. Wi-Fi connections can be as fast as 10 Gbps with Wi-Fi 6, but access points “are shared among multiple users,” he said: “There can be interference from other access points if it’s not very well coordinated. … All these wireless problems are typically managed through the listen-before-talk protocols and that is not very efficient.” With 5G “the issue is the limited coverage,” he said. 802.11, part of the IEEE 802 set of local area network technical standards, offers a network with “low complexity and low costs” and “increasingly introduces similar features” as those offered on carrier networks, Jungnickel said. Some wireless LANs are being built using a technology known as distributed MIMO, he said. “This architecture is known for provision of seamless mobility; it can do advanced interference control,” he said. “It can provide very reliable links because of the redundancy. It can transmit from multiple sites. The latency is low.” The technology is “really promising,” he said. Jungnickel also sees promise in new Li-Fi networks, which transmit data via LED or infrared light. Unlike Wi-Fi, which uses RF, Li-Fi technology needs only a light source with a chip to transmit an internet signal via light waves. “It provides much higher area capacity in small hot spots,” 100 Mbps per square meter “and easily more,” he said: “Light is quite a clean channel, so you can … guarantee the delivery of data at very low latency. It’s robust against jamming because it doesn’t interfere with radio, and it also provides enhanced privacy.”

Despite ongoing global economic challenges and slower internet traffic growth, Akamai finished Q2 with revenue of $903 million, up 6% year over year and 9% higher in “constant currency,” said CEO Tom Leighton on a Tuesday earnings call. Q2 revenue in Akamai’s content delivery business declined 11% year over year to $417 million in results that were “clearly impacted by a continued deceleration in traffic growth among our largest media customers,” he said. “Like many companies, we're managing through a time of substantial economic headwinds and uncertainty with escalating inflation, the strengthening U.S. dollar, growing concerns about a global recession, escalating geopolitical tensions and conflicts and a slowing of internet traffic growth as the world tries to return to normal in the midst of a pandemic,” said Leighton.

WideOpenWest's wireless service partnership with Reach Mobile (see 2202220045) is now available to customers across WOW's entire footprint, said the company Thursday. Under the partnership, WOW broadband customers get a discount on the mobile service.