Unleashing the
Potential of UWB:
Regulatory Considerations
FiRaTM Consortium | August 2022

Table of Contents
1

Executive Summary
1.1 Introduction to Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology

33

1.2 Demand for UWB is Steadily Growing

3

1.3 Social and Economic Impact

3

1.4 Regulatory Enhancements – Responding to Demand

42

Introduction

5

3

UWB Overview
3.1 What is UWB?

77

3.2 How UWB Works

7

3.3 UWB-Enabled Devices Understand Motion and Relative Position

8

3.4 UWB Delivers Higher Security

8

3.5 UWB Technology Comparison

84Standards and Interoperability

10

5UWB Use Cases and Applications
5.1 Access Control

1213

5.2 Real-Time Location Services (RTLS)

14

5.3 Personal and Consumer Device Tracking

15

5.4 UWB in The Smart Home

16

		

6

5.4.1 Point-and-Trigger Control

165.4.2 Presence Detection and Follow-Me

17

The UWB Market is Dynamic and Growing Rapidly!
6.1 Increased Deployment of UWB Technology in Devices
6.2 Internet of Things (IOT) in Industrial and Consumer Markets

7

18
19

6.3 Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) Applications

21
21

6.4 Regulatory Changes Positively Impact the Consumer Experience22

Regulatory Challenges

23
23

7.1 Historical Perspective on Current UWB Spectrum Rules
7.2 Outdoor Applications for Access Control and Real-Time Location Services (RTLS)
7.3 Vehicular Applications

23
24

7.4	Deployment Flexibility for Real-Time Location Services (RTLS),

24

Smart Home Point-and-Trigger Control, and Presence Detection
7.5 Ensuring Future Access to Spectrum
		
7.5.1	A “Safe Harbor” Band to Permit Enduring Deployment of Access24
24

Control and Real-Time Location Services (RTLS) Applications
		

8

7.5.2 Expanded Spectrum for New Applications

References

24
25

2

1 Executive Summary
Indoornavigation

Unmannedstore accessSocialdistancing
Asset
tracking

Ticket validation(Public transport
services)

Tap-freemobile payment

Point and trigger
controller app

Residential
accesscontrolFirst Floor

First Floor

Open

24/7

SMART CITIESAND MOBILITY

SMART BUILDINGAND INDUSTRIALSMART
RETAIL

SMART HOMEAND CONSUMER

1.1	Introduction to Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology
Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a short-range, wireless technology that makes use of wideband radio waves. UWB
is allowed to operate in higher frequency bands and uses a wider bandwidth (500 megahertz or more) than
Wi-Fi or Bluetooth®. These special characteristics of UWB make it more accurate when it comes to positioning
capabilities and it also provides a higher level of security for ranging applications.

1.2 Demand for UWB is Steadily Growing
UWB is being adopted in flagship smartphones to enable secure access and context-based user interfaces.
In 2021, UWB was installed in over 300 million smartphones, representing an attach rate of approximately
20%. It is anticipated that in the next five (5) to ten (10) years, UWB will gradually be adopted across all
smartphones, representing a market potential of 1.5 billion UWB-enabled devices per year.

1.3 Social and Economic Impact

According to ABI Research, the number of UWB-enabled devices shipped globally is poised to growfrom 109 million devices in 2019 to over 1 billion devices by 20251. In total, 3.6 billion UWB-enabled
devices will be shipped globally by 2025. In fact, the UWB market is projected to grow by double digit
percentages for the foreseeable future.

The other segments driving growth of UWB are Internet of Things (IoT) and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS).
According to Verified Market Research, “the IoT market size was valued at USD 1186.20 Million in 2021 and is
projected to reach USD 6075.70 Million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 19.91% from 2022 to 2030.”2. Forecasts fromMarketsandMarketsTM project an even stronger growth for the RTLS global indoor location market, indicating that
this market will grow from approximately $7 billion this year to $19.7 billion by 2026, a CAGR of nearly 23%3.

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1.4

Regulatory Enhancements – Responding to Demand

The FiRaTM Consortium (www.firaconsortium.org) believes that changes in the current FCC regulations
regarding the use of UWB technology will improve the capabilities of devices and drive growth in the numberof UWB-enabled products that are FCC approved.
The current regulations were developed over twenty years ago; at that time, the current capabilities of UWB
were not and could not have been contemplated. For this reason, the current regulations have shortcomings
that have been highlighted when working with UWB technology in modern, real-world use cases.
The original rules from 2002 envisioned the use of UWB for high and ultra-high bandwidth data
communications using OFDM modulation. However, today, UWB technology is more commonly used for
ranging and localization applications, with impulse-based modulation and low activity factors. Current FCC
rules do not permit fixed position outdoor UWB stations, even though the potential harmful interference fromthese devices is extremely low. This restriction negatively affects use cases such as door locks and significantly
hampers the rollout of seamless access control and RTLS applications.
Examples of regulatory changes that would further accelerate the adoption of UWB are:•	
Allow fixed outdoor operation for precise locationand device control applications.

•	
Allow additional spectrum in relatively low
interference bands above 10 GHz.

• Permit measures more suitable to positioning
and ranging applications that avoid unnecessary
permanent transmissions.

• Eliminate a prohibition on UWB use in toys.

• Explicitly allow use of UWB in automobiles
for digital key, location tracking, and sensing
applications, both inside and outside of a vehicle.
•	Allow higher power indoors for precise location inlarge spaces.

• Permit UWB antennas to be mounted separatelyfrom the transmitting device, as permitted forother FCC Part 15 devices.
•	
Designate a safe harbor band for critical UWB
services, where shared use is limited to othercompatible low-power operations with low 		
duty cycles.

As discussed below, many of these new UWB applications do not fall within the current FCC regulations andtherefore requires developers to obtain waivers. Typically, these waivers are narrow in scope and can takeseveral months or even years to work their way through the administrative process.
To allow UWB to reach its full potential and a broader market, regulatory changes would help align regulations
with today’s market needs, while maintaining the integrity of the spectrum for full use. The FiRa Consortium asks
the FCC to consider these changes and amend the way the regulations are currently written and regulated.

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https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/global-internet-of-things-iot-market-size-and-forecast-to-2026/
https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/indoor-location-market- 989.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIutrnsoSw9wIVl21vB3
KNw-mEAAYASAAEgLoIPD_BwE

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2 Introduction
After decades of discussion and development, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology
is now demonstrating its potential to quickly become a vital mainstream wirelesstechnology like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®. UWB technology outperforms othertechnologies in terms of ranging accuracy, energy efficiency, cost, and security.
Unlike other wireless technologies, UWB has a very low transmit power that allows it to operate over a widepart of the spectrum and co-exist with other users and wireless technologies without disturbing other uses/
users. This also makes UWB well-suited for high-density applications since such intense use could occur
without any significant potential for harmful interference to other communications systems.
Beyond the capabilities of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, based on its fine-ranging capability offering location accuracy
to within a few centimeters, UWB has the ability to change the way in which we experience connectivity
and interact with other humans and objects around us. Mainstream uses today include digital car keys (asspecified by the Car Connectivity Consortium), the ability to locate objects equipped with an Apple AirTagTM
or Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+TM, the ability to “point-and-click” to control devices at home, and indoor
location services within commercial and industrial environments. As the technology continues to evolve, thepossibilities for use cases relying on UWB are endless!
As referenced in the 2021 FiRa Consortium Annual Report, the UWB market is dynamic and growing rapidly.
The marketplace is at an inflection point where a broad set of established companies are designing andbuilding products and services utilizing UWB technology. By way of example:•	According to ABI Research, the number of UWBenabled devices shipped globally will grow from
109 million devices in 2019 to over 1 billion devices
by 20254. In total, 3.6 billion UWB-enabled devices
will be shipped globally by 2025.
• As evidenced by early adoption of UWB by car
manufacturers such as BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar,Land Rover, Mercedes, and Volkswagen, theautomotive segment will be a mass adopterof UWB technology. Digital car key is currently
supported by Apple, Google, and Samsung
smartphones, providing seamless and secureaccess to cars from smartphones. (Note thatvehicle digital key is being standardized by the Car
Connectivity Consortium.)• MarketsandMarketsTM notes that the consumer
electronics vertical will hold the largest market
share of UWB from 2020 to 20255. There is anincreasing demand for UWB technology inconsumer electronics based on UWB’s ability tosignificantly improve the consumer experience
related to home entertainment products suchas televisions, laptops, and audio equipment.

More information on the growth of the UWB market can be found in Section 6 of this paper.

UWB operates under a regulatory framework that was largely adopted 20 years ago based on known
and/or anticipated use cases at that time. During the 20 years since, UWB developers have gained
experience, improved UWB technology, and identified different uses for UWB.

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https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/indoor-location-market-989.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIutrnsoSw9wIVl21vBB
3KNw-mEAAYASAAEgLoIPD_BwE

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These actions have pushed the bounds of current regulations to where the regulations are no longer aligned
nor appropriate for the UWB use cases that are of interest today. While regulators have, in several cases,
adopted waivers of the regulations to permit new uses, the waiver review and approval process can be slow
and narrow in scope, thereby delaying and inhibiting valuable new UWB services. It is time for regulators
to consider an updated regulatory framework that recognizes current technology, anticipates future
developments, and enables the plethora of capabilities and services that are within the potential of UWB, allwhile protecting other spectrum uses.
With a new regulatory framework, there are many reasons to expect that UWB will live up to its full potential.
It is not one or two entities that seek this advancement, but an entire industry united to work together
to bring these capabilities and services to life. As noted in a recent article in the Wall Street Journal6,“membership of the FiRaTM Consortium, a non-profit developing the UWB standard, is a who’s-who of majortech companies”. The article goes on to say that “UWB is not, in other words, some proprietary part of one tech
giant’s walled garden. It’s more like a basic piece of consumer (and industrial) communications infrastructure,
like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or 5G cellular standards”.
In this paper we present an overview of UWB technology and how it works. This paper also details how the
FiRa Consortium collaborates with industry to grow an open and interoperable ecosystem. We explain theimportance of standards and interoperability followed by an overview of a few impactful UWB use cases.
In addition, we provide information on the overall UWB market dynamics and growth predicted by industry
analysts. We conclude by discussing how current regulatory challenges are impacting the growth of the
UWB-enabled ecosystem.

[Image]6https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-end-of-car-keys-passwords-and-fumbling-with-your-phone-at-checkout-11641618007

6

3 UWB Overview
3.1

What is UWB?

Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a short-range, wireless communication protocol like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth that makes useof radio waves. It differs, however, in that UWB is allowed to operate at higher frequency bands and uses a wide
spectrum bandwidth (500 megahertz or more). Since UWB devices operate in a spectrum that overlaps with preexisting allocations and uses, UWB devices also operate at very low transmit power limits to prevent interference.
A UWB transmitter works by sending extremely short pulses (UWB was previously known as “impulse radio”) acrossa wide spectrum channel; a corresponding receiver then translates the pulses into data by listening for a familiar
pulse sequence sent by the transmitter.
In the current FiRaTM Consortium7 specification, once a UWB-enabled device like a smartphone or smart watch
is near another UWB-enabled device, the devices trigger “ranging” using UWB transmissions. Ranging refers to
calculating the Time-of-Flight (ToF) between devices (i.e., the roundtrip time of challenge/response packs of data in
RF bursts, as shown in Figure 1 below). By using a larger channel bandwidth (500 megahertz or more) with shortpulses (of about two nanoseconds each), UWB achieves greater accuracy than any of the other current methods.
The UWB positioning process happens virtually instantaneously, tracking the device’s movements in real-time. In
doing so, UWB-enabled devices can perceive both motion and relative position.
Interest in and commercial use of UWB is growing due to its unique features that include centimeter-levelaccuracy of positioning and high data transfer rates. For example, Apple, a member of the FiRa Consortium, haspublicly stated that UWB technology offers “spatial awareness” which is the ability for your phone to recognize
its surroundings and the objects in it. This allows a smartphone user to simply point his or her smartphone at
another smartphone to transfer a file or photo.
Use of short pulses allow UWB to measure distance and to determine position much more accurately thanother technologies. This also makes it more secure. Furthermore, UWB’s wide bandwidth reduces fading effects,
generating constant power at the receiver, therefore making it more robust than Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in multipath environments.

3.2

How UWB Works

The UWB operating concept is simple. Once a device that is

INITIATORRESPONDER

equipped with a UWB radio, such as a smartphone, wristband,or smart key, comes into range of another UWB-enabled
device, the devices start ranging. The FiRa protocol includes a

POLL

detection mechanism for UWB devices to detect each other’s
presence. The ranging is done by performing Time-of-Flight (ToF)
measurements (see Figure 1) between the devices. The ToF is
calculated by measuring the roundtrip time of challenge/response

T loopRESPONSE(INCL. T reply )T reply

packets. Depending on the type of application (e.g., in case of
asset tracking, device localization), either the mobile or the fixed
UWB device calculates the precise location of the device. In thecase where the device is running an indoor navigation service, it

ToF =T loop - T reply
2

is required to know its relative location to the fixed UWB anchorsand calculate its position on the area map.

7

Figure 1
Source: FiRa Consortium

https://www.firaconsortium.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/introduction-to-impulse-radio-uwb-seamless-access-systems-102820.pdf

7

3.3 UWB-Enabled Devices UnderstandMotion and Relative Position
The real-time accuracy of UWB measurements
means a UWB-enabled system can know, with a very
high degree of certainty, the precise location of adevice and whether it’s stationary or moving toward
or away from a given object. For example, a UWBenabled system can sense if you’re moving toward
a locked door and it can know if you’re on the insideor outside of the doorway. This allows it to determine
if the lock should remain closed or open when you
reach a certain point.
The precise accuracy of UWB ranging allows the usecase to define the exact intended range to avoid false
triggering. For example, if you live in a house with anattached garage, the UWB-enabled system can be
configured to detect when your car approaches andopen the garage door. Or that it is time to unlock theentryway from the garage to the kitchen so you canbring in your groceries.

3.4

UWB Delivers Higher Security

Today’s technologies for ranging primarily rely on signal strength to determine distance and location. They
measure the device’s signal strength and assume a strong signal means the device is close by. Using what
is called a relay station attack, attackers have found a way to trick these systems. In this type of attack, thelegitimate wireless signals used to unlock a door are intercepted and amplified, causing the door to open eventhough the key isn’t close by.
What’s missing in these other technologies is the precise calculation of actual physical distance; this is exactly
what UWB brings to the application. With UWB, any attempt to intercept and amplify the signal during a relay
attack will only delay the arrival of the responding device’s acknowledgement signal, making it clear to the
UWB-based lock that the responding device is actually further away, not closer. Any UWB signal which attackers
succeed in intercepting and boosting won’t trick a UWB-equipped lock into opening. Moreover, the extension ofIEEE 802.15.4z adds physical layer (PHY) level protection to all known attacks on legacy UWB radios.

3.5

UWB Technology Comparison

The wireless connectivity technology industry has grown so huge that it can be challenging to put new
entrants into perspective. While Wi-Fi and Bluetooth already benefit from very broad market adoption, theylack in accuracy when it comes to their positioning capabilities. When compared to UWB, these technologies
provide relatively little to no RF level security to protect ranging.
While it is possible to achieve ranging with other wireless connectivity technologies, you will need to evaluate
your environment and determine what accuracy and response time is required for your use case. This will
determine the choice of technology.

8In differing use cases, each technology has its own strengths. As shown in Figure 2, here are the key
advantages UWB has over other positioning technologies:•	
When it comes to accurate positioning, UWB
stands out thanks to its ability to precisely localize
devices and objects down to less than 10 cm inline-of-sight or non-line-of-sight.
•	With a refresh rate of ~200-1000 times per second,
pinpointing a location is done in real time.
•	
UWB pulses resist a common difficulty known as
the multipath effect. This is what happens whenradio signals reach the receiver by more than

one path, due to reflection or refraction caused
by natural or manmade objects close to themain signal path. The multipath channels causeinter-symbol-interference (ISI) in normal signaltransmissions, since signals arriving at the receiverfrom different paths are destructively combined.
As a result, signals are distorted when arriving at areceiver.

However, in the case of UWB, the pulses are very short in time, which significantly minimizes ISI when arriving
at a receiver. This is because UWB pulses arriving at different times through multiple paths, are so short intime that they do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the received UWB pulses are still distinguishable atthe receiver, giving them resistance to the multipath effect.
most popular wireless formats, including satellite
navigation, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even Near Field
Communication (NFC).

•	
Its immunity to multipath interference andfading makes it a very robust technology option.
The high time resolution and short wavelengthof UWB signals make it much more resistant tomultipath interference and fading8.
•	UWB operates in a different part of the radio
spectrum, away from the busy ISM band clusteredaround 2.4 GHz. The UWB pulses used for location
and ranging operate mainly in the frequency range
between 6.5 and 9 GHz and don’t interfere withwireless transmissions happening elsewhere in the
spectrum. That means UWB co-exists with today’s•	
One of the most important additions to UWB,
being defined as part of the new IEEE 802.15.4z
specification, is an extra portion of the physical layer(PHY) used to send and receive packets of data. The
new feature adds cryptography, random number
generation, and other techniques that make it harder
for an external attacker to access or manipulate UWB
communications.

UWB’s unique combination of signal characteristics – easy to identify, resistant to noise and reflection – makes
it the best choice for measuring distance and addressing a wide variety of use cases.

UWB

SecureIntegrity of distance result
due to PHY layer encryption

Reliable

Real time
Refresh rate of 200~1000
times/second

Accurate
Centimetre resolution in dense
multipath environments

Co-Exist
Support bands different
from Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Low Energy
Ultra short air time

Immune to multipath
interference and fading

Figure 2
Source: FiRa Consortium

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94 Standards and Interoperability
The marketplace is at an inflection point where a broad set of establishedcompanies are designing and building products and services utilizing UWBtechnology. As UWB technology makes the transition to mass scale usage, successdepends on an interoperable, holistic, and interconnected ecosystem. History tells
us that whatever a technology’s capabilities may be, no technology reaches broad
market acceptance without effective industry support.
From a standardization perspective, UWB previously served essentially as a technology for high data-rate
communication and as such was in direct competition with Wi-Fi. More recently, UWB has evolved to unlock
new unique and valuable capabilities, including:•	
Evolving from an OFDM9-based data
communication to an impulse radio technology
specified in IEEE 802.15.4a (2ns pulse width); and•	
Becoming a unique and secure fine ranging
technology based on a security extension
currently being specified in IEEE 802.15.4z(at the PHY/MAC level).

Moving from data communication to secure fine ranging allows the spatial context capability to be utilized by avariety of applications, including hands-free access control, location-based services, and device-to-device (peerto-peer) services.
Today, the starting point for UWB technology is the IEEE standard 802.15.4 and the IEEE 802.15.4z-2020
Amendment 1. Amendment 1 is the IEEE standard for low-rate wireless networks that covers enhanced ultrawideband (UWB) physical layers (PHYs) and associated ranging techniques. The 802.15.4 standard is widely used
in a variety of applications that use ranging capabilities, such as High Rate PHY (HRP) and Low Rate PHY (LRP).
In general, the IEEE 802.15.4 standard defines the PHY, MAC10, and sublayers, with a focus on low-data-rate
wireless connectivity and precision ranging. Different PHYs are defined for devices operating in various licensefree brands in various geographic regions.
In January 2018, as a response to demand for enhanced operation, the IEEE 802.15.4z task group wasestablished to define the PHY and MAC layers for HRP and LRP. IEEE 802.15.4z is focused on additional coding
and preamble options. This task force is also working on improvements to existing modulations to increase
the integrity and accuracy of ranging measurements, with a typical range of up to 200 meters for the radio.
Definition of an element that supports additional information will facilitate the exchange of ranging information.
The FiRa Consortium aims to build on what the IEEE has already established for HRP and is doing so with abroad spectrum of players. That means supporting the IEEE’s work with an interoperable HRP standard that
includes performance requirements, test methods and procedures, and a certification program based on the
IEEE’s profiled features. It also means defining mechanisms that are out of scope of the IEEE standard, including
an application layer, which discovers UWB devices and services and configures them in an interoperable manner.
FiRa is also pursuing other activities, such as developing service-specific protocols for multiple verticals anddefining the necessary parameters for a range of applications. These include physical access control, locationbased services, device-to-device (peer-to-peer) services, and many more.

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The Media Access Control (MAC) Layer is one of the two sublayers into which the data-link layer (layer 2) of the Open Systems 		
Interconnection (OSI) reference model is subdivided. (Link here.)10In addition to standards, the FiRa Consortium believes that there are three core elements required to enablebroad adoption of secured fine ranging and positioning UWB technology:•	Support for the development of compelling use cases across broad business domains
		 – 	Industry leaders and innovators must work together to develop compelling use cases based on IEEE
802.15.4z UWB secure fine ranging technologies. By identifying, defining, and demonstrating the use of“Spatial Context” through new, innovative applications, UWB technology becomes relevant to end users
and gives developers powerful reasons to embrace it.
•	Defining specifications and certifying products to enable interoperability
		 –	When technology-driven solutions work together, without restrictions or hassles, everyone has a betterand safer experience. Industry must work together to develop specifications and certification programs
to support interoperability among chipsets, devices, and solutions.
• Fostering a robust UWB ecosystem to enable rapid technology deployment
		 –	Technologies only endure when they are backed by strong, quality-driven infrastructure that enables
rapid expansion.
Interoperability and standardization of UWB technology enables mobile devices to be used for applications
such as smart home control, access control, and indoor navigation. It will also support new solutions working
with older solutions and vice versa, allowing devices and use cases to be future-proofed. Industry consortiums
such as FiRa and organizations such as IEEE support interoperability of devices through standardization.

FiRa's Scope of Certification
Builds on the foundation of the IEEE 802.15.4/4z standard

FiRa Consortium

Services

Service-specific requirements for
multiple verticals

Application Layer

Standards

Security

Mechanisms which are not within IEEE scope• Discovery and configuration• Security requirements

Conformance Standards

MAC Lay er• Profiled features among 802.15.4/4z PHY/MAC• Signaling conformance802.15.4/4z

PHY Layer• Minimum performance• Interoperability• Test methods/procedures• Certification program11

5 UWB Use Cases and Applications
FiRa has identified a wide variety of use cases for UWB across four (4) primarymarket segments:

Smart Cities
and Mobility

Smart Building
and Industrial

Smart Retail

Smart Homeand Consumer

Specific use cases within each of these primary market segments are shown in Figure 3.
Initial areas of focus for FiRa include Internet of Things (IoT), secure access, tracking, and navigation. UWB was
initially used primarily in professional settings, but the addition of the secure fine ranging feature has already led
to adoption in mass market consumer products including devices such as digital car keys and smartphones.
Select use cases detailed below include Access Control, Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS), Personal andConsumer Device Tracking, and Smart Homes.

Figure 3
Source: FiRa Consortium

12

5.1

Access Control

It is natural to extend the use of UWB for digital car keys in the automotive space (as specified by the Car
Connectivity Consortium) to the use of UWB for residential and/or commercial access control. Embedding
UWB within door locks and access control readers has the potential to improve security, enable better user
experiences, and provide innovative advanced provisioning capabilities. Much like in the automotive realm, enduser devices such as smartphones, wearables, key fobs, or badges can be UWB-enabled to act as digital keys.
A typical deployment scenario will involve a Bluetooth Low Energy, UWB, and Near-Field Communications (NFC)
enabled reader and smartphone. Initially the devices communicate via Bluetooth Low Energy for wake up,
initialization and authentication, then hand over to UWB for secure ranging to measure distance and Angle-ofArrival (AoA), and then trigger the unlock sequence as defined by a predetermined distance. NFC can act as a
backup technology for battery drained mobile devices, ensuring users always have uninterrupted access.
There are several advantages of leveraging UWB for access control:• UWB offers protection from relay station
attacks which makes it well suited to secureaccess applications versus alternative wirelesstechnologies.
• UWB can also detect if the user is inside or outside
the building, as well as if they are walking to orfrom an entrance or exit.

This ensures that the door is only opened whenneeded and prevents unauthorized access.
• Multi-session support also helps to prevent
tailgating and ensuring that doors re-lock after
the user has gained access, preventing others fromfollowing and thus gaining unauthorized access.

As UWB can track the user’s exact location in relation to the entrance or exit, this removes the need to perform
an action such as entering a code, using a fingerprint or facial recognition system, tapping a key fob on areader, or using a key. This alleviates potential privacy concerns with alternative methods of authentication,
reduces the time it takes to perform the task, and improves the user experience.
There is clear momentum for UWB-enabled access control solutions:• As the leading global providers of physical access
control and related systems, industry leaders
Allegion, dormakaba, Elatec, HID Global, Kastle
Systems, and Legic, among others, have joined FiRa,
demonstrating their support for the use of UWB
in access control. These well-known companies,
due to the size and breadth of their respective
offerings, are the players who set the standards inthe industry that others generally then follow.

• HID Global, NXP, and Samsung showcased handsfree access control at CES 2020.
• In October 2020 Xiaomi demonstrated the conceptof access control from the pocket along with its
intent to support UWB in its mobile, smart home,
and access devices in the future.

From a UWB technology implementation perspective, the FiRa Consortium Technical Working Group (TWG)
is working towards the standardization of access control use cases. This will help to facilitate mobile devices
from various OEMs, opening locks and readers from different OEMs. It will also allow different devices toseamlessly transfer access control keys between them. (This is enabled by access control hardware being
configured with the proper authentication keys and encryption mechanisms to support the use of credentials
from multiple brands of OEM devices.)

13

The growing presence of UWB within the automotive keyless entry realm will act as a catalyst and proofof-concept to wider residential and commercial deployments of digital keys. The wider adoption of UWB in
mobile devices for a variety of IoT use cases will also lead to a greater installed base of digital keys.
To learn more about the use of UWB in access control in commercial deployments, please view the FiRa
Presents video11.

5.2

Real-Time Location Services (RTLS)12

Until recently, UWB was perhaps best known for its
deployment within a number of RTLS applications.
RTLS deployments can precisely track assets andpersonnel, enabling enterprises to save billions of

A new use case for the technology, spurred by the
COVID-19 pandemic, is social distancing enforcement
and contact tracing. UWB RTLS providers suchas Kinexon, Quarion, TSINGOAL, and others have
deployed COVID-19 response solutions.

dollars in terms of enhanced operational efficiencies,

For example, Kinexon launched its SafeZone andincreased worker safety and compliance, and loss

SafeTagTM solution, a wrist-worn UWB device thatprevention. In most deployments, enterprises canenables visual warnings if the distance between workers

take advantage of multiple use cases to compound

falls below a certain threshold. Thanks to its high

ROI and other benefits.

accuracy, the solution was deployed by the NFL and the

For example, within healthcare environments, RTLS
solutions can track available beds to understandand maximize utilization, trace valuable equipment

NBA throughout 2020 to monitor social distancing andcontact tracing within their bubbles. This helped ensurethat their sporting seasons could continue.

to prevent theft or losses, monitor staff for hygiene

By 2025, ABI Research anticipates there will be nearlycompliance purposes, track patients and staff

30,000 UWB RTLS deployments, backed by numerous

location for safety purposes, and ensure thatUWB RTLS vendors including Siemens, Sewio, Kinexon,

personnel are able to access necessary areas and

TSINGOAL, Zebra, Redpoint Positioning, Ubisense,

equipment at all times. Recently, RTLS has been

Eliko, Pozyx, UWINLOC, Litum, Intranav, Quarion, anddeployed for social distancing, contact tracing,

Tracktio, among others13.

and cleaning enforcement applications, helping tominimize the risk of infection spreading.
UWB technology has witnessed considerable RTLS
deployment growth in recent years. Various assets
have UWB tags attached to them. These tags
communicate with anchors deployed around thefactory, warehouse, or healthcare environment,
allowing items to be precisely located in real-time.
UWB’s ability to deliver centimeter level location
accuracy, ultra-low latency, and robustness in harshenvironments gives it significant advantage overalternative technologies. This has enabled it to build
success in many commercial environments for someof the more stringent asset and vehicle tracking
applications. These applications include vehicle
navigation and collision detection, high-value tool andequipment tracking, and worker safety applications.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5HrtevCuXU
https://b2b-knowhow.com/assets/6828-ultra-wideband-uwb-for-the-iot-a-fine-ranging-revolution
13
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/uploads/articles/UWBWP.pdf
11
12

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5.3

Personal and Consumer Device Tracking14

More recently, thanks to UWB’s addition into several flagship smartphones, UWB is also being positioned
as a personal item tracking technology for consumer applications. Smartphones with UWB are capable oflocating items such as keys, wallets, backpacks, luggage, and other personal items with a UWB-enabled tag
attached to them. While Bluetooth Low Energy solutions have historically dominated this space, UWB is
being positioned as a differentiator thanks to its ability to provide more accurate, directional, and low latency
positioning. This can help to enable enhanced user tracking experiences such as augmented reality finding.
As used within other UWB applications, Bluetooth Low Energy is being leveraged in conjunction with UWB in
these personal trackers for initial pairing and handover.
In April 2021, Apple unveiled its AirTag solution which contains UWB, Bluetooth Low Energy and NFC
technology. For iPhones™ without UWB capabilities, users can use Bluetooth Low Energy to find their devices.
However, for those devices equipped with UWB, users can more accurately locate their lost items through“Precision Finding”, which will guide them to their AirTag using sound, haptics, and visual feedback. Lost
AirTags can be tapped by an NFC-enabled device to bring up contact details of the tag owner.
In April 2021, Samsung officially launched its Galaxy SmartTag+ tracker. Combining UWB and Bluetooth Low
Energy, the SmartTag+ enables AR Finding as part of its SmartThings Find service. Users are visually guided
to their lost device using their smartphone’s camera, making it much easier to precisely locate their items,
improving the finding experience for end users. Users can tag items as missing and other Galaxy device owners
can help to locate lost items as part of a crowdsourced network. This could also help to create new services formobile operators and insurance companies, leading to new business models and additional value for end users.
ABI Research expects annual shipments of UWB-enabled personal trackers to grow to 34 million by 2025, as
the installed base of UWB-enabled smartphones increases. In the longer term, as UWB’s installed base develops
and technology matures further, ABI Research anticipates that many device manufacturers will start to embed
the technology directly within devices. For example, small or frequently misplaced items such as true wirelessearbuds equipped with Bluetooth Low Energy for audio could also leverage UWB for item finding.

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5.4

UWB in The Smart Home15

The vision of a fully automated, truly intelligent, highly personalized, and interconnected smart home has not yet
been fully realized. A large part of this has been due to the absence of highly accurate indoor location technologies
that are capable of enabling the smart home platform to determine precisely who and where someone is, aswell as their intention. The next wave of the smart home’s evolution will come from the combination of seamlessconnectivity and interoperability between devices, alongside the precise localization of people and objects
within the home. Thanks to its ability to precisely pinpoint the distance and direction between different UWBenabled products within the home environment, UWB has the potential to enable this seamless, automated, andpersonalized experience within the home. This will allow for better end-user interaction experiences as well as more
intelligent automated homes that rely less on manual interaction and can adapt in real time to the specific needs
for end-users. There are two major ways in which UWB can help to achieve this: (1) point-and-trigger control; and (2)presence detection and follow-me.

5.4.1 Point-and-Trigger Control
As the name suggests, point-and-trigger applications involve pointing a UWB-enabled smartphone towards other
UWB-enabled connected home devices such as speakers, televisions, light bulbs, thermostats, or other appliances.
Based on UWB’s high accuracy and directional capabilities, the smartphone can detect exactly what device it isbeing pointed at, and automatically open a relevant control panel on the smartphone display. This can then be
utilized to turn a television on or off, select the color and brightness of a smart light bulb, change the radio station
or song, adjust the volume on a speaker, turn up the thermostat, or seamlessly cast video and audio to a televisionor speaker. In addition to control panels, smartphones could also pull up additional contextual information, suchas song lyrics, further recommendations, and other new ways of engagement. This could help drive valuable newentertainment services within the home.
While voice control is optimal for more simple tasks that are easy to describe (e.g., playing a specific songon a speaker), for certain home automation and control tasks, describing what is required can be a lot morecumbersome. For example, selecting a specific light bulb in a room and changing it to the correct color andbrightness is much easier to control via a dedicated app and touchscreen control than voice.

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However, the process for this control today is not seamless. Users have to unlock their smartphone, open up
the correct app, select the correct device and manually adjust the settings. With UWB, this problem can bealleviated, providing a much more desirable one-tap user experience.
Xiaomi recently demonstrated UWB being leveraged within a variety of smart home devices such as fans,lamps, and smart speakers. This demonstration highlights the growing potential of the UWB-enabled smart
home ecosystem. Similarly, Apple has already incorporated UWB within its HomePod mini® smart speaker.
The HomePod mini was recently updated to allow streamlined handoff of content such as music, calls, andpodcasts with iPhone® devices. By leveraging UWB, the device is able to add visual and haptic feedback andprovide listening suggestions when the iPhone is in close proximity to the speaker. It can also display controlson the device without needing to unlock it.

5.4.2 Presence Detection and Follow-Me16
By embedding UWB within smart home devices, they can respond to specific user movements automatically.
Examples of this include turning on a light, playing a preferred playlist, or adjusting to the preferredtemperature when a user enters or leaves a room, and can follow them from room to room. Personal profiles
could be set up for homes with multiple occupants, enabling certain smart home devices to adjust to theirown unique preferences.
UWB can determine that the end user is within a specific room, or even in a more specific location, enabling
more contextual interaction. For example, when a user is sitting on the sofa, the television could automaticallyswitch on and return to what the user was previously watching or dim the lights to the preferred settings.
UWB embedded within a notebook PC could detect when the user is sitting at the desk and securely lock or
unlock the device as required, preventing any intrusion.
As highlighted earlier, many smart home and building security vendors are members of the FiRa Consortiumand have promoted the potential of UWB for secure hands-free access control within both residential andcommercial environments. The low latency of UWB ensures a seamless and immediate experience. Users won’t
be frustrated while waiting for the lights to turn on or pointing to a device that takes a long time to open up
the correct control panel.

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6 The UWB Market is Dynamic
and Growing Rapidly!

[Image]Compelling new experiences benefiting users, combined with thedevelopment of an open and interoperable ecosystem, is driving rapid andwidespread adoption of UWB across multiple markets and applications.
The marketplace is at an inflection point where a broad set of established companies are designing andbuilding products and services utilizing UWB technology. As validated by industry analysts, FCC productapprovals, Consumer Electronics self-declarations, and a variety of published case studies, UWB technology isin the early stages of making the transition from niche applications to mass scale usage.
As validated by FCC product approvals, according to information on the FCC website, there were 85 UWBenabled products granted FCC certification in 2021. The FiRa Consortium believes that a change in the current
FCC regulations regarding the use of UWB technology will drive significant growth in the number of UWBenabled products that are approved.
As highlighted by MarketsandMarketsTM, major factors driving growth in the UWB market are17:• Increased growth in deployment of UWB technology in devices (i.e., mobile phones)• Increased adoption in the consumer Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)• The rising demand for UWB technology in Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) applications

17

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/indoor-location-market-989.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIutrnsoSw9wIVl21vBB
3KNw-mEAAYASAAEgLoIPD_BwE

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6.1

Increased Deployment of UWB Technology in Devices

UWB is currently being adopted in flagship smartphones to enable secure access and context-based userinterfaces. In 2021, UWB has been adopted in over 300 million smartphones, representing an attach rate of
approximately 20%. In the next five (5) to ten (10) years, it is anticipated that UWB will be gradually adopted
across all smartphones, representing a market potential of 1.5 billion devices per year.
And as noted by MarketsandMarkets, a driver in the increased use of UWB technology will be the availabilityof UWB-enabled devices. According to ABI Research, and as shown in Figure 4 below, the total of all UWBenabled devices shipped globally will grow from 109 million devices in 2019 to over 1 billion devices by 2025.
In total, 3.6 billion UWB enabled devices will be shipped globally by 2025. In fact, the UWB market is projected
to grow by double digit percentages for the foreseeable future18.
1200

Millions

1000
800
600
400
200
0

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Year
Figure 4
Source: ABI Research

In addition to the inclusion of UWB in smartphones, we are already seeing the early adoption of UWB in smart
watches. As is the case with smartphones, the initial use cases will enable secure access and context-baseduser interfaces. Based on available data, 150 million smart watches will be in market by 2025; the UWB attachrate in 2021 was approximately 20%.
Adoption of UWB technology in smartphones and smart watches will ultimately enable a multitude of use
cases; this will drive adoption of UWB in the following areas over the next three (3) to ten (10) years:• The “connected home” is believed to offer great

According to data compiled from FiRa members,

benefit to residents of these homes. According tothis market represents a total available market

Verified Market Research, the global smart speakersize of 250 million devices. If you consider remotemarket size was valued at $6.42 billion in 2020

controls that work with these devices, this number

and is projected to reach $61.87 billion by 2020,

doubles to 500 million devices.

gorwing at a CAGR of 32.75% from 2021 to 2028.

19

Based on this data, FiRa estimates that adoption of
UWB has started in the smart speaker market withan attach rate of approximately 5% in 2021.
	Also significant within the “connected home”• The growth of UWB-enabled tags to locate personal
assets is fueled by providers such as Apple, Samsung
and Tile, all of whom have already adopted UWB for
this use case. Based on data provided by various FiRa
member companies, the total available market foris the television market where UWB point-and-

UWB-enabled tags is expcted to be 150 million units

control and presence detection capability enables

by 2025.

new forms of user interfaces.
18
19

https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/uploads/articles/UWBWP.pdf
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smart-speaker-market-size-worth--61-87-billion-globally-by-2028-at-32-75-cagrverified-market-research-301517884.html
19• Another fast-growing area of UWB adoption ispresence detection and security in high-end

available market of more than 200 million
devices by 2025.

laptops and other hardware (PC, Chromebooks™,etc.). FiRa members estimate that the total
available market will be approximately 300 million
devices by 2025.

	It should be noted that this number does notinclude the “beacon”20 market which is projected
to grow at a 37% CAGR in the next ten years,
representing more than $100 billion market
by 2030. Today the “beacon” market is largely• As noted elsewhere in this report, the use of
UWB in consumer and enterprise access points

dominated by the use of Bluetooth and/or

is also exploding. UWB has already been adopted

Wi-Fi. Thanks to its superior location capabilities,

in industrial applications to deliver location and

FiRa members expect that UWB will experiencenavigation services and in an initial consumer

significant growth in this market, taking

Wi-Fi Access Point. It is expected that consumer

advantage of the overall high growth rates.

and enterprise access points will represent a total
One data point that supports the expected growth of UWB is from ABI Research. The Figure 5 graph shows
UWB-enabled device shipments by market segment from 2020 to 2026.
As the US is a key market, it is expected that 100% of consumer device manufacturers will seek FCC approval
for their UWB-enabled devices. In 2021 alone, there were 85 devices certified by the FCC. As uses for UWBtechnology proliferates, there will be a positive economic impact as more developers and manufacturers seek
FCC approval and begin selling their products into the US market.
1400
Smartphones
1200

IoT Applications
Automotive

Millions

1000

800

600

400

200

0
2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

Figure 5 UWB-Enabled Device Shipments by Market Segment, 2020 to 2026.
Source: ABI Research20Ultra Wideband (UWB) Beacons are small, battery powered radio transmitters that are attached to walls or things. Nearby devices
that are UWB-enabled and have compatible apps connect to these beacons and compute precise distance and angle.

20

6.2

Internet of Things (IOT) in Industrial and Consumer Markets

The second area of focus by MarketsandMarkets is the Internet of Things (IOT) in both the consumer and industrial
spaces. Oracle notes that “the Internet of Things (IoT) describes the network of physical objects – “things” – thatare embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging
data with other devices and systems over the internet. These devices range from ordinary household objects tosophisticated industrial tools. With more than 7 billion connected iOT devices today, experts are expecting thisnumber to grow to 10 billion by 2020 and 22 billion by 2025”.
Oracle further notes that “over the past few years, IoT has become one of the most important technologies of the
21st century. Now that we can connect everyday objects – kitchen appliances, cars, thermostats, baby monitors – tothe internet via embedded devices, seamless communication is possible between people, processes, and things.21
According to Verified Market Research, “the IoT market size was valued at USD 1186.20 Million in 2021 and is
projected to reach USD 6075.70 Million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 19.91% from 2022 to 2030.”22.
Verified Market Research goes on to note that “the development of wireless networking technologies will lead toa larger base of individuals interested in purchasing IoT devices. This is the crucial aspect in the rise in the market
revenue of the Internet of Things (IoT)23. Also fostering market growth will be the growing use of third-party
platforms, incremental growth in digital transformation, and the use of IoT in manufacturing.
Based on its fine ranging capability, UWB technology is enabling large numbers of IoT applications and use
cases. One large category of applications is access control including digital car keys in the automotive spaceand UWB-enabled door locks and readers used in commercial and residential markets. Another set of UWB IoT
applications include Personal and Consumer Device Tracking, such as tracking and locating keys, wallets, andother personal items with a UWB tag attached to them. Furthermore, UWB is enabling many smart home IoT
applications by providing highly accurate indoor location information to UWB enabled smart home devices,such as point-and-trigger controllers and presence detection devices.

6.3 Real-Time Location Systems 		
(RTLS) Applications
The third area of focus by MarketsandMarkets is therising demand for UWB technology in Real-Time
Location Systems (RTLS) applications. In a report from
August 2021, MarketsandMarkets estimated that the
global indoor location market will grow from about$7 billion this year to $19.7 billion by 2026, a CAGR ofnearly 23%. According to this report, the fastest growing
indoor location services will be in the APAC region.
The report says this is due to “increasing demand forindoor positioning technologies across manufacturing,retail, and transportation and logistics verticals across
APAC countries”. The report also noted that companies
are using indoor location technology for facility
management, virus tracking, people tracking andmanagement, and smart quarantining.24
https://www.oracle.com/internet-of-things/what-is-iot/
https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/global-internet-of-things-iot-market-size-and-forecast-to-2026/
23
https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/global-internet-of-things-iot-market-size-and-forecast-to-2026/24
https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/indoor-location-market-989.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIutrnsoSw9wIVl21vBB
3KNw-mEAAYASAAEgLoIPD_BwE
21
22

21

Other market research provides similar data on the indoor location system market. For example:•	As shown in Figure 6, the report from Research
USD 42.82 Billion

and Markets indicated that the global indoor
location-based services market size was estimatedat USD 12.08 billion in 2020 and was expected toreach USD 14.43 billion in 2021, at a CAGR of 19.80%
to reach USD 42.82 billion by 2027.25•	Mordor Intelligence predicts that the indoor

USD 14.43 BILLION

location market is expected to register a CAGR
of 21.7% over the forecast period 2021 to 2026.
Further, Mordor Intelligence expects that North
America will hold the highest market share

2020

2027

Market forecast to grow at a CACR of 19.9%

during the forecast period. This is due to thegrowing smartphone penetration and the growthof IoT technology in the area26. Other factors
favoring the growth of indoor location services inNorth America include the growing investment

Figure 6 The Global Indoor Location Based Services Market.

in the development of different technologies andthe use of indoor location solutions.

6.4

Regulatory Changes Positively Impact the Consumer Experience

As we examine the fast-paced growth projected by market studies for UWB technology, it should be
noted that these figures do not account for the positive impact of regulatory adjustments requested for
implementation by the FCC. The FiRa Consortium maintains that implementation of requested regulatorychanges will contribute to accelerating the development and adoption of UWB-enabled devices and thetime is ripe to do so now. Such regulatory changes will support use cases that are either not possible or area stretch under the current rules. Additionally, regulatory changes will greatly enhance and/or improve theconsumer experience associated with existing use cases, further driving adoption of the technology and ourunderstanding of its safe and effective use.
As more UWB-enabled mobile devices are coming to market, end-users are beginning to have the opportunity
to experience the power that UWB places in their hands. The brand power and reach of the mobile OEMs, manyof whom are members of the FiRa Consortium, will play a large role in educating consumers and will drive
demand for UWB-enabled mobile devices. This will, in turn, trigger demand for increased interactions between
mobile and IoT devices, particularly in the home over the near-term. Consumers will demand that the ecosystem
continues to develop as they see that UWB can make their home life more convenient and secure.
As people become more familiar with the technology and build trust in its use, new habits will be formed that
rely on the use of UWB. This will drive expectations for a higher penetration of UWB technology in all typesof consumer and commercial devices. In turn, the smart city infrastructure will have to adapt to new device
capabilities to deliver a more seamless response to user’s needs.
The (r)evolution has started and UWB will soon be at the heart of our daily lives!

25
26

https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/4896758/indoor-location-based-services-market-research#rela0-5427261
https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/indoor-location-market

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7 Regulatory Challenges
7.1

Historical Perspective on Current UWB Spectrum Rules

One of the major challenges with UWB is that it transmits over a wide frequency band; therefore, in the absenceof appropriate regulations, there is the potential for interference with other wireless systems and/or incumbents
that share the same frequencies27. To avoid such interference, many countries set strict rules on the maximum
transmitter power and limit the use environments (including frequency bands and locations) in which UWB is
permitted to transmit.
In 2002, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States opened the spectrum for ultrawideband applications from 3.1 GHz – 10.6 GHz.
The existing 20-year-old regulations were developed at a time that did not and could not have contemplated
the capabilities being developed now and consequently have shortcomings that have been highlighted
in working with UWB technology in real-world use cases. Additionally, the UWB application focus has
shifted. For instance, the original rules from 2002 envisaged use of UWB for high and ultra-high bandwidth
data communications using OFDM modulation28. However, today, popular low activity factor ranging andlocalization applications use impulse-based modulation.

7.2

Outdoor Applications for Access Control and Real-Time Location Services (RTLS)

Access control and RTLS are highly valuable both indoors and outdoors. By nature, these include stations
in a fixed location (e.g., as an access control terminal such as a door lock, a payment terminal, etc.) or as alocalization reference anchor.
Current FCC rules do not permit fixed position outdoor UWB stations. This lack of permission for fixed
outdoor UWB stations (e.g., door locks) significantly hampers the rollout of seamless access control and RTLS
applications. Although manufacturers can seek required approvals via the FCC waiver process, this is expensive
and time consuming for the manufacturers and ultimately impedes broader adoption of the technology. The
waiver process is also not sustainable for the FCC as the number of waiver requests will continue to increase.
Appropriate rule changes will enable and support the widespread adoption of UWB technology that is on theimmediate horizon.
It should also be noted that the current rules also create a rift with respect to the indoor and automotive
deployment of what is, in many cases, the same application.
Additionally, ambiguity arises from the interpretation of “hand-held systems” which are permitted to operate
outdoors as currently defined under the FCC UWB rules. RFID tags, RFID tag readers, car key fobs, etc., areexamples of devices with potentially ambiguous qualification under current FCC rules.
In summary, a seamless regulation for the use of UWB for access control and RTLS, including outdoor
applications, is urgently needed.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ultra-wideband-market---34-of-growth-to-originate-from-north-america-driven-bygrowing-applications-of-uwb-technology--17000-technavio-reports-301508233.html
28
https://www.eetimes.com/multiband-ofdm-why-it-wins-for-uwb/
27

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7.3

Vehicular Applications

Current FCC rules permit some vehicle-based applications to qualify as hand-held systems. This non-intuitive
interpretation should be clarified or alternatively, the rule should be amended to directly reflect authorized
vehicular uses. Flexible connections for a vehicular UWB station and its designated antenna should bepermitted to facilitate more freedom in mounting antennas and electronics in vehicles. Vehicles should also beallowed to be a de facto mounting point for various types of UWB applications.

7.4 Deployment Flexibility for Real-Time Location Services (RTLS), Smart Home Point-andTrigger Control, and Presence Detection
The complexity of the indoor radio environment in the UWB-enabled smart home offers many challenges.
Indoor UWB transmission and reception is often impaired by obstacles, placement of UWB stations is subject
to non-UWB related application constraints, and for on-body applications, there can be significant signal
attenuation due to body-loss. Less restrictive power limits indoors will enable substantially more robust
deployment of applications like RTLS, Smart Home Point-and-Trigger Control, Virtual Reality and Gaming, andPresence Detection while still protecting other spectrum uses outdoors.

7.5

Ensuring Future Access to Spectrum

7.5.1 A “Safe Harbor” Band to Permit Enduring Deployment of Access Control and Real-Time
Location Services (RTLS) Applications
UWB services have no protection from interference by other spectrum users. Recently some professionallyoperated UWB services have started to relocate to another frequency band due to the deployment of newly
permitted 6 GHz Wi-Fi systems. Deployment of Wi-Fi, cellular and other systems deploying many local
transmitters using higher power than UWB can locally and temporarily “drown out” UWB applications, thus
making UWB services unreliable.
Access control and RTLS applications require a very high level of reliability as they have to be highly secure
and provide trustworthy data for process automation. It is paramount to have a band where such applications
can be deployed with confidence (i.e., without there being a risk that higher volume, higher power systems
are deployed in the same band in the foreseeable future). Such a band could be nominated as a “safe harbor”
band for UWB services. A candidate for such a “safe harbor” band could be a band that lends itself poorly todeployment of other higher power local transmitter-based applications. Thus, FiRa prefers UWB "Channel 9”29;
however, FiRa is also willing to adapt to other available channels.

7.5.2 Expanded Spectrum for New Applications
For a set of UWB applications, to allow higher spatial resolutions, more robust data communication
capabilities and/or interference mitigation operation to ensure proper operation of the UWB systems, asignificantly broader bandwidth would be required.
These applications include: (1) sensing and tracking applications that will only be feasible when every
broadband UWB signal is deployed to reach the required sensing and/or tracking precision; and (2)communications applications that require the availability of more channels to facilitate intra-device and interdevices RF coexistence.
Therefore, the FiRa Consortium suggests extending the UWB spectrum from 10.8 GHz up to 12.7 GHz.

29

IEEE 802.15.4-2015: “IEEE Standard for Low-Rate Wireless Networks”, IEEE, 201524

8 References1)	
Global Indoor Location Market by Component. (2021, August). Retrieved from Research andMarkets: https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5427261/global-indoor-locationmarket-by-component?utm_source=CI&utm_medium=PressRelease&utm_code=blk7wl&utm_
campaign=1592884+-+Indoor+Location+Market+by+Component%2c+Technology%2c+Application%2c+
Organization+Siz
2)

Global-internet-of-things-iot-market-size-and-forecast. (2021). Retrieved from Verified Market Research:https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/global-internet-of-things-iot-market-size-andforecast-to-2026/

3)

Hans-Juergen Pirch and Frank Leong. (2020, Feb.). Introduction to Impulse Radio UWB Seamless Access
Systems. Retrieved from FiRa: https://www.firaconsortium.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/introductionto-impulse-radio-uwb-seamless-access-systems-102820.pdf

4)

INDOOR LOCATION MARKET - GROWTH, TRENDS, COVID-19 IMPACT, AND FORECASTS. (n.d.). Retrieved
from Mordor Intelligence: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/indoor-location-market5)	Qorvo. (May 2021). Getting Back to Basics with Ultra-Wideband (UWB). Retrieved from https://www.
qorvo.com/resources/d/qorvo-getting-back-to-basics-with-ultra-wideband-uwb-white-paper
6)

Research and Markets. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/4896758/
indoor-location-based-services-market-research#rela0-5427261

7)(August 2021). Ultra-Wideband (UWB) for the IoT—A Fine Ranging Revolution? ABI Research. Retrieved
from https://b2b-knowhow.com/assets/6828-ultra-wideband-uwb-for-the-iot-a-fine-ranging-revolution
and https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/uploads/articles/UWBWP.pdf

8)

Ultra-wideband Market. (2021, Dec.). Retrieved from Allied Market Research: https://www.
alliedmarketresearch.com/ultra-wideband-market-A08628

9)What is IoT. (2021). Retrieved from Oracle Corp.: https://www.oracle.com/internet-of-things/what-is-iot/25

© 2022 FiRa Consortium. All rights reserved. FiRa, FiRa Consortium, the FiRa logo, the FiRa Certified logo, and FiRa tagline
are trademarks or registered trademarks of FiRa Consortium or its licensor(s)/supplier(s) in the US and other countries andmay not be used without permission. All other trademarks, service marks, and product or service names are trademarks orregistered trademarks of their respective owners.

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