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What is Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology?

Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is a wireless communication technology that is known for its high precision localization capabilities. UWB uses short-range, low-energy pulses to measure the time of flight between devices, enabling extremely accurate distance measurements between them. This makes UWB ideal for ranging applications, such as indoor positioning, asset tracking, and geofencing. With its ability to provide sub-centimeter accuracy and operate in challenging environments, UWB is becoming increasingly popular in industries such as logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare.

UWB technology has gained significant attention in recent years, especially after being added to Apple’s iPhones since iPhone 11 back in 2019. In addition to Apple, other device manufacturers such as Samsung and Google have also adopted UWB technology in their devices, and UWB is becoming standard in the latest generation of smartphones, smartwatches, and other wearables. Research by ABI suggests that around 40% of shipped smartphones will have UWB by 2026, [1]. The integration of UWB in smartphones has opened doors for multiple high precision localization and ranging applications.

Specifically, UWB-based keyless entry systems have gained traction in the automotive industry after being approved by the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) and the Digital Key Release 3.0 (DK3.0) specification. CCC is a global standardization organization that develops and promotes technologies for seamless connectivity between cars and mobile devices. DK3.0 is a specification that defines a standardized ecosystem for digital car keys, allowing users to securely access and start their cars using their smartphones. UWB technology has been identified by CCC and DK3.0 as the preferred technology for high precision localization and secure communication between digital keys and cars. This recognition has further accelerated the adoption of UWB technology in the automotive industry and by smartphones.

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