Rohde & Schwarz and Realtek Deliver First Validated Test Solution for Bluetooth LE High Data Throughput as Industry Grapples with Testing Gaps in Fast-Growing IoT Market

Rohde & Schwarz and Realtek Semiconductors have validated the industry’s first test solution for Bluetooth LE High Data Throughput (HDT), an upcoming feature on the Bluetooth SIG roadmap that increases maximum data rates from 2 Mbps to up to 7.5 Mbps (with SIG projections indicating potential support for rates approaching 8 Mbps).

In the electronics product design sector, Bluetooth device shipments are forecast to rise from more than 5.4 billion units in 2025 to over 8.1 billion by 2030, according to ABI Research, with single-mode Bluetooth LE devices growing at the fastest pace. Global IoT connections are projected to reach approximately 21–22 billion in 2025–2026, per IoT Analytics and Ericsson data. This expansion is driving demand for enhanced Bluetooth LE capabilities to support low-latency audio streaming, fast media sharing, and accelerated over-the-air firmware updates, particularly in PCs, TVs, gaming, automotive, smart home, and intelligent audio products.

Designers in this market have encountered key challenges: the absence of mature, standardized test infrastructure for new Bluetooth LE features such as HDT (still in specification development), stricter requirements for error vector magnitude and PHY validation, and the comple...