Bluetooth devices compete for space in limited available spectrum, leading to faulty connections. But fixes are coming.
You're not imagining it. Stepping off the subway, you pop in your wireless earbuds, climb up the stairs and out into a busy intersection just to have the soundtrack to your morning commute cut out or go static.
The issue — commonly referred to as Bluetooth interference — has been around since the dawn of wireless technology itself and can be caused by a variety of reasons. Physical objects like metal doors can block signals, or your Bluetooth device may be using a frequency that's simply overcrowded. The popularity of wireless devices like Apple's AirPods or Samsung's Galaxy Buds means increasingly more people are competing for space on a limited number of airwaves, said Jan Rabaey, a professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at the University of California Berkeley and the director of the Berkeley Wireless Research Center.
And your Bluetooth devices operate on just a fraction of that spectrum, he said, between 2.4 GHz and 2.8 GHz. That means your headphones are competing with most other wireless devices, including Wi-Fi routers, cordless phones and even odd appliances like microwave ovens and cheaply made power adapters.
While Bluetooth doesn't operate at those higher frequencies which require more power, opening up those ranges to the public could help alleviate traffic overall, Rabaey said. And as wireless technology continues to advance and grow in popularity, the FCC may need to do more to keep traffic at manageable levels, he said.
Using newer Wi-Fi routers that operate on a higher frequency can also help alleviate overall traffic in your area, Rabaey said, and investing in higher quality Bluetooth devices with better wireless chips will likely help, too.
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