In today’s digital technology era, the ability to connect electronic devices wirelessly has become an essential need. Bluetooth is one of the most popular wireless technologies nowadays. It has been widely used in many industries like commercial, automotive, education, and even health industry. This technology provides significant changes in human life, especially because right now we can use our electronic devices wirelessly.
In this article we will discuss about Bluetooth technology and its regulatory control in Indonesia.
What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a wireless communication technology that operates on the frequency band of 2.4 GHz. This technology can provide real-time data and voice communication services between host to host with limited distance, no more than 10 meters.
Basically, Bluetooth was initiated not only to eliminate the use of cables in communication, but also to offer wireless technology with relatively lower costs, low power consumption, and easy to operate.
Brief history of Bluetooth
In 1998, several promoter companies formed a Special Interest Group (SIG) and began to create a specification called as Bluetooth.
In 1999, the specification of Bluetooth 1.0 was released, and hands-free headsets became one of the first consumer devices to use Bluetooth technology. In the same year, the creation of specification document of Bluetooth 2.0 was began with the addition of several promoter companies.
Currently, more than 1800 companies from various industries have joined a consortium as Bluetooth technology adopter companies.
How Bluetooth works?
Each Bluetooth system consists of a host application and the Bluetooth module. The host can be a personal computer or smartphone. While the Bluetooth module is a hardware that will be connected to the host such as a wireless headset or mouse.
Bluetooth operates on the frequency of 2.402 GHz to 2.480 GHz with 79 RF channels where each channel has a channel spacing (bandwidth) of 1 MHz using the TTD (Time-Division Duplex) system.
The use of the frequency band 2.4 GHz for Bluetooth has not been regulated globally, but there are several technical requirements that must be followed in its operation as follows:
- Bandwidth is limited to only 1 MHz per channel
- Use of frequency hopping in its data transmission method
- Interference must be limited and handled properly
Several wireless technology also use the frequency band of 2.4 GHz, so an interference is very likely to happen. Therefore, it is important to ensure that no interference occur when several devices are being operate together in the frequency band of 2.4 GHz.
Specification of Bluetooth
The Bluetooth system consists of a radio transceiver, baseband link controller, and link manager. The baseband link controller connects the radio hardware to the baseband processing and physical protocol layers. Meanwhile, the link manager performs high-level protocol activities such as link setup, authentication, and configuration.
Here are some parameters of Bluetooth technology according to the SIG specification document.
| Parameter | Specification |
| Frequency range | ISM Band, 2400 – 2483.5 MHz (majority) |
| Maximum output power | Power class 1 : 100 mW (20 dBm), Power class 2 : 2.5 mW (4 dBm), Power class 3 : 1 mW (0 dBm) |
| Modulation | GFSK (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying) |
| Out of band spurious emission | 30 MHz – 1 GHz : -36 dBm (operation mode), -57 dBm (idle mode); 1 GHz – 12.75 GHz: -30 dBm (operation mode), -47 dBm (idle mode); 1.8 GHz – 1.9 GHz: -47 dBm (operation mode), -47 dBm (idle mode); 5.15 GHz –5.3 GHz: -47 dBm (operation mode), -47 dBm (idle mode) |
As already mentioned before, Bluetooth operates in the frequency band of 2.4 GHz ISM band. Globally, the frequency allocation for Bluetooth has been available, but the allocation of frequency ranges used in various countries varies. Here is some information on the differences in frequency ranges and RF channels in several countries including Indonesia.
| Country | Bluetooth Frequency Range |
| Indonesia, Europe, USA | 2400 MHz – 2483.5 MHz |
| Jepang | 2471 MHz – 2497 MHz |
| Spain | 2445 MHz – 2475 MHz |
| France | 2446.5 MHz – 2483.5 MHz |
Advantages of Bluetooth technology
There are several advantages that Bluetooth can offer to its users compared to other wireless technology.
Easy to use
One of the main advantages of Bluetooth is its ease of use. The process of pairing and connecting Bluetooth devices is very simple and easy, even for novice users.
Lower power consumption
Bluetooth is designed with relatively lower power consumption compared to other technologies, especially the latest version of Bluetooth low energy (BLE). This makes Bluetooth an ideal choice for battery-powered devices such as smartphones and wireless headsets. Low power consumption allows devices to operate for long periods of time without having to be charged continuously.
Compatibility with other devices
Bluetooth has been adopted by many electronic manufacturers around the world. This makes it easy for Bluetooth devices to connect to other devices from different brands and operating systems. For example, Bluetooth headsets can be easily connected to both mobile phones and personal computer.
Affordable costs
The implementation of Bluetooth technology in electronic devices is considered much cheaper compared to several other wireless technologies. This makes Bluetooth a more affordable choice for manufacturers and consumers.
Disadvantages of Bluetooth technology
Although Bluetooth offers more advantages, on the other hand this technology also still has some disadvantages.
Limited in range
One of the main disadvantages of Bluetooth is its limited transmission range. Bluetooth is considered unsuitable for long-distance communication.
Limited data transfer speed
Compared to other wireless technologies, Bluetooth tends to have a lower data transfer speed. This makes Bluetooth is not the right choice for transferring large amounts of data.
Interference problems
Because Bluetooth uses the frequency band of 2.4 GHz which is also used by several other wireless technologies, so there is a risk of interference that can disrupt the Bluetooth connection. This interference can cause disruptions such as disconnection or failure to transfer data.
Regulatory control for Bluetooth in Indonesia
As previously mentioned, Bluetooth is operated by using radio frequency waves. Therefore, every device that has a Bluetooth feature must meet the applicable technical standards in Indonesia. Fulfillment of these technical standards is carried out through a product certification process called DJID certification.
DJID certification process is to ensure that the Bluetooth device operates on the specified frequency band in Indonesia, so it will not cause interference with other radio frequencies. In addition, this certification process provides assurance to users that their Bluetooth device has met the standards of safety and quality in Indonesia.
In Indonesia, Bluetooth devices can work on the frequency band of 2.4 GHz as mentioned in technical regulation KEPMEN KOMINFO NO 260 year 2024. Here are the technical details for Bluetooth in Indonesia.
| Frequency band | Output power | Spurious emission | Testing method |
| 2400 – 2483.5 MHz | < 20 dBm EIRP | EN 300 328 | EN 300 328 |
The sample requirements for Bluetooth testing are conducted sample within test mode. During the testing, the lab will conduct measurement several testing parameters. If all Bluetooth testing parameters are declared passed, then the test report of Bluetooth can be used for the DJID certification process.
If you have any question related to DJID certification, please don’t hesitate to contact us by sending enquiry to info@narmadi.com.
