USB 3.0 specification set to hit 10Gbit/s throughput

The trade organisation behind the SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) standard has announced a new connection specification which will offer a data transfer rates of up to 10Gbit/s.

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group and USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) says the new specification will allow for more efficient data transfers and improved power proficiency. According to the group, the USB 3.0 specification is expected to be completed sometime this year.

"The higher speed capability of SuperSpeed USB at 10Gbit/s is expected to be useful for connecting higher-performance external hard disk raid (HDD) and solid-state disk (SSD) drives," Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF chief operations officer, told V3.

"Additionally, higher-performance SuperSpeed USB hubs can be built to allow an increased number of SuperSpeed USB devices to simultaneously connect to higher-performance host devices. Higher-performance USB audio/video devices may benefit in supporting higher video display resolutions or multiple display monitors."

The new specification will be compatible with existing USB 3.0 software and devices. It will also be backwards compatible with USB 2.0 products.

According to the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, the new specification will be completed in mid-2013. Consumers should expect to see the technology in products in the years following.

Increasing the speed of USB 3.0 puts it in to direct competition with Intel's Thunderbolt connection technology. Intel launched its Thunderbolt technology in 2011.

At the time, the connection tech offered double the speed of USB 3.0. The increased data transfer speeds will reportedly be useful in upcoming USB docking and storage applications.

USB 3.0 products were first launched in 2009. The connection technology found early success in the storage industry. However, it failed to gain much traction with many lower-end consumer devices during the first few years of existence.