The US Federal Communications Commission is considering a comprehensive rewrite of its 2002 ultra-wideband rules to better accommodate modern sensing, robotics, and autonomous systems, potentially easing regulatory hurdles for innovative technologies.
The US Federal Communications Commission is preparing the most substantial rewrite of its ultra-wideband rules since the regime was introduced in 2002, a move that could broaden use of the short-range technology in sensing, robotics and autonomous systems. According to a draft notice released on 9 September, the agency is considering whether its current Part 15 framework still matches the way UWB devices are now used, rather than the way they were understood more than two decades ago.
The proposal is scheduled for discussion at the FCC’s open meeting on 30 September, but it remains only a draft and could still change before commissioners act. In a statement, Chairman Brendan Carr said the Commission would seek comment on modernising the rules for ultra-wideband devices, which are used across a range of consumer and industrial products. The same meeting is also expected to address a separate spectrum item for satellite services.
At the centre of the proposal is a plan to create a new UWB device category for emerging applications such as factory automation, autonomous navigation and AI-enabled sensing. The FCC is also looking at whether to update the definition of a UWB transmitter, revise measurement procedures and revisit limits covering emissions, duty cycles and antenna design. The draft further asks whether restrictions on use aboard aircraft, ships and satellites should be eased, and whether drone operations could be accommodated.
The Commission’s review reflects how far UWB has moved beyond the categories written into the 2002 rules, which were shaped around imaging, handheld devices and ground-penetrating radar. Since then, the technology has become important for precision ranging, secure access, asset tracking and industrial navigation. The FCC says the growth of these uses has increasingly forced applicants to seek individual waivers for waveforms and systems that were never foreseen when the framework was adopted.
Industry groups have been pressing for change. The draft notes petitions from Robert Bosch and a coalition that includes the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the Car Connectivity Consortium, FiRa, PROFIBUS & PROFINET International/omlox and the Ultra-Wideband Alliance. Their case is that the existing rules have become a constraint on newer UWB waveforms, ranging systems and imaging applications. If the FCC proceeds, the outcome could reduce regulatory friction for developers working on robotics, factory safety and intelligent environments, while signalling a broader shift towards rules built around current technical reality rather than legacy device categories.
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