The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) gives final approval to G.fast, the broadband standard promising access speeds of up to 1Gbit/s over regular telephone cables.

Described as a cost-effective complement to fibre to the home (FTTH) technologies, G.fast uses fibre to the distribution point (FTTdp) architecture to combine the best of fibre and DSL. It features fibre-like speeds within 400m of a distribution point and the customer self-installation of DSL, bringing about improvements for customers and cost-savings for service providers.

ITU says G.fast enables bandwidth-intensive services such as 4k or 8k video streaming, advanced cloud-based storage and communication via HD video. It also serves the broadband needs of SMEs, and provides backhaul for small wireless cell sites and wifi hotspots, with "zero-touch" operation, administration and management making new service rollout faster.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announces Bluetooth core specification version 4.2-- an update featuring improvements on security and speed, as well as an IP connectivity-enabling profile.

“Bluetooth 4.2 is all about continuing to make Bluetooth Smart the best solution to connect all the technology in your life-- from personal sensors to your connected home," the SIG says. "In addition to the improvements to the specification itself, a new profile known as IPSP enables IPv6 for Bluetooth, opening entirely new doors for device connectivity.”

On the security front Bluetooth 4.2 should make it harder for eavesdroppers (such as Apple's iBeacons) to track devices without direct user permission. It also promises to transfer data up to 2.5 times faster than previous versions, with reductions in both transmission errors and power consumption.

Bitdefender suggests every devices making the Internet of Things is at risks from hackers, viruses and other security hazards-- thus necessitating the BOX, a device designed to secure all customers web-enabled devices.

According to the company the BOX protects PCs, mobile devices, game consoles, smart TVs, smart appliances and more from fraud, malware, data theft, spying and all other online ills. It either connects to a router or acts as one, and intercepts and scans essential parts of the data packets flowing in and out of the network in order to block hazards the network level.

It also provides customers with parental controls and other options via compatible Windows, iOS and Android apps.

Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) suggest governments should not auction off old TV frequencies to the highest bidders-- instead they be used to create a free "super wifi" network.

Old TV frequencies allow the transmission of wifi over lower frequencies , resulting in coverage as wide as several kilometres in radius. Such a network could replace pricey mobile services of the 4G variety, leading to far wider mobile internet use.

Current wifi technology operates at high frequencies of 2GHz and above.

The KIT researchers say they also have a technique for the prevention network congestion via the reserving of a 90MHz interval in the UHF bands. Another argument in favour is that in any case the general public should be given preference to the use of electronics communications.

The ZigBee Alliance unifies multiple ZigBee wireless networking technologies into a single standard-- ZigBee 3.0, a means enabling communications between multiple devices in both residential and enterprise applications.

ZigBee 3.0 is IEEE 802.15.4-based, operates at 2.4GHz and uses ZigBee PRO, the group's standard for network formation and the devices attached to them. However it lacks 2 ZigBee specs, namely Smart Energy 2.0 (an IP-based profile) and RF4CE (a ZigBee version geared at remote controls).

“Underneath the covers we are accommodating these multiple applications in a single standard, so ZigBee thermostats, for example, can be used in either home or office buildings,” the Alliance says.

Keyssa claims to have a faster means for the wireless transmission of large files between devices in close proximity-- Kiss Connectivity, a low-power system using extremely high frequency (EHF) signals.

According to the company the technology operates at transfer rates of up to 6Gbits per seconds, allowing users to download a 1GB file in as little as 2 seconds. It also has lower power consumption and, being a point-to-point connection, is more secure than network-based solutions.

In comparison, current wifi speeds top at 1.34Gbps, while NFC clocks at around 400kbps.

TP-Link launches the Archer C8 AC1750 wireless dual-band router-- featuring 802.11ac standard support with simultaneous 2.4GHz 450Mbps and 5GHz 1300Mbps connections for a total of 1.75Gbps available bandwidth.

It is powered by a dual-core 800MHz CPU for stable performance with wifi, ethernet and USB devices, while 3 dual-band antennas provide what TP-Link says is maximum omni-directional wireless coverage and reliability.

Another addition is beamforming technology allowing the router to locate connected devices and boost wireless signal strength in their direction.

The TAP-EX is a sleek and compact wifi extender with an Amped Wireless first-- touchscreen interface allowing for setup as simple as a few taps, with no other devices required.

“As wifi gadgets continue to infiltrate homes, full-home wifi coverage is a requirement and no longer a luxury,” the company says. “With the innovation of the TAP-EX, we now have a solution that is built for everyone as its easy to use and every home can benefit from the device’s power. The TAP-EX is not intimidating, with just a few taps on the touch screen you're up and running in minutes."

According to Amped Wireless the TAP-EX carries up to 800mW of wifi output power (in comparison standard router output clocks at 50mW), allowing it to extend wifi coverage by 930 square metres. Handling such output are 4 total amplifiers and 2 high gain dual-band antennas.