New USB Standard Will Double The Speed - Olmec Skip to main content

New USB Standard Will Double The Speed

By August 11, 2017March 1st, 2023Technology News

Despite getting off to a somewhat rocky start, USB Type-C cables have been a boon to computer users everywhere by providing bidirectional transfer capabilities, which essentially gives Type-C cables two “lanes” to work with.

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group recently announced that things are about to get even better and faster when they released the new USB 3.2 specification.

In brief, it takes advantage of the bidirectional transfer features offered by Type-C cables, which means that you’ll soon have two lanes. Each provides 5GB per second, for a total of 10, which is double the speed of USB 3.1 connections.

From a practical standpoint, it means that a USB 3.2 host connecting to a USB 3.2 device can achieve data transfer rates that far exceed 2GB per second transfer rates. As ever, the new 3.2 standard will remain backwards compatible with older USB 3.X devices, so you won’t have to worry about losing connectivity as you begin to make the switch.

Brad Saunders, the Chairman of the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, had this to say:

“When we introduced USB Type-C to the market, we intended to assure that USB Type-C cables and connectors certified for SuperSpeed USB or SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps would, as produced, support higher performance USB as newer generations of USB 3.0 were developed. The USB 3.2 update delivers the next level of performance.”

There are two key takeaways here. The first is that you can continue using your USB Type-C cables without having to worry whether they will support the next generation of USB 3.2 devices. Second, the announcement ensures that more and more manufacturers will begin using Type-C cables, making it the new de facto standard. Given that speed is life in business, and every incremental improvement in speed matters, that’s a very good thing.

Chris Forte

Chris Forte, President and CEO of Olmec Systems, has been in the MSP workspace for the past 25 years. Chris earned his Master’s Degree from West Virginia University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He was a past member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a current member of the New Jersey Power Partners and Executive Association of New Jersey, where he has previously served on its board of directors. In his spare time, Chris enjoys traveling with his family. He also admits to being a struggling golfer and avid watcher of college football and basketball. He currently lives in Boonton Township, NJ with his wife, two daughters, son, and black lab Luna.