Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Coexistence

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi transmit in different ways using differing protocols. When Wi-Fi operates in the 2.4 GHz band, Wi-Fi transmissions can interfere with Bluetooth transmissions, and Bluetooth transmissions can interfere with Wi-Fi transmissions. Because Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios often operate in the same physical area and many times in the same device, interference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can impact the performance and reliability of both wireless interfaces.

Bluetooth is a wireless technology designed for short-range wireless connections between devices in a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN). 802.11-compliant Wi-Fi technology connects devices and an infrastructure in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). Bluetooth and Wi-Fi transmit in different ways using differing protocols; because Bluetooth and 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n-compliant devices operate in the same 2.4 GHz frequency band, they are mutual interferers. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios often operate in the same physical area and many times in the same device; this interference can impact the performance and reliability of both wireless interfaces. Several methods of interference mitigation through temporal, special, and frequency isolation have been developed and are described in this document.