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UWB and FiRa Consortium certification
A UWB ranging product answers to two different kinds of rule. The first is radio law: in the EU, Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/785, whose Annex was replaced in May 2024 by Decision (EU) 2024/1467, together with the ETSI EN 302 065 harmonised standards; in the US, 47 CFR Part 15 Subpart F, written in 2002 and now under review in the FCC 26-66 rulemaking adopted on September 30, 2026; in Japan, the rules that ARIB STD-T91 implements. The second is the industry layer: IEEE 802.15.4z-2020 for the physical layer, and the FiRa Consortium, whose Core 4.0 certification release came out on December 3, 2025. This page maps both, from the primary texts, with the limits per parameter and the claims about them that the texts contradict.
The UWB certification stack
Section titled “The UWB certification stack”| Layer | Subject | Reference | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radio regulation | Bands, mean and peak e.i.r.p., mitigation (LDC, DAA), indoor, handheld, fixed outdoor and vehicle use | EU Decision 2019/785 as amended, EN 302 065-1 and other parts, FCC Part 15 Subpart F, ARIB STD-T91 | Yes, per market |
| Physical and MAC layer | HRP and LRP UWB physical layers, ranging techniques, STS | IEEE 802.15.4z | No, a technical basis |
| Industry conformance | PHY, MAC, link layer, UCI conformance and interoperability of the UWB subsystem | FiRa Core Certification Program, Release 4.0 | No, a market requirement |
| Vehicle access | Digital key ecosystem, UWB plus Bluetooth LE plus NFC | CCC Digital Key Release 3 | No, an automotive market requirement |
Only the first row is law. The others decide whether the product works with phones, vehicles, door readers and infrastructure from other vendors, which is why buyers ask for them.
IEEE 802.15.4z-2020 and what comes next
Section titled “IEEE 802.15.4z-2020 and what comes next”The IEEE 802.15.4z task group scope is explicit: the amendment enhances the existing HRP and LRP UWB physical layers and the associated ranging techniques, with additional coding and preamble options, improvements to the existing modulations to increase the integrity and accuracy of ranging measurements, and new information elements for exchanging ranging information. MAC changes support these PHY enhancements. It did not create the HRP PHY, which predates it.
The addition that matters most for security is the Scrambled Timestamp Sequence (STS): a pseudo-random pulse sequence, derived from key material shared by the two devices, that the receiver uses to validate the arrival time on which the time of flight is computed. An attacker who does not hold the key cannot predict the sequence. FiRa certifies "Dynamic STS", "Provisioned STS" and the "PHY Security Configuration" as optional features.
The next amendment is IEEE 802.15.4ab. Its task group lists additional coding, preamble and modulation schemes for a better link budget, additional channels, interference mitigation, high-integrity ranging, narrowband assistance, sensing for presence detection and environment mapping, and streaming of at least 50 Mb/s, while keeping backward compatibility with 802.15.4z enhanced ranging devices. FiRa announced on October 21, 2025 that it had started to add 802.15.4ab features to its specifications, describing the standard as forthcoming. Its Core 4.0 release of December 2025 is described as completing the work on IEEE 802.15.4-2024 features.
HRP channels and where they are allowed
Section titled “HRP channels and where they are allowed”| Channel | Centre | Nominal span (499.2 MHz) | EU generic, -41.3 dBm/MHz | US indoor and handheld | Japan, ARIB STD-T91 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 6489.6 MHz | 6240.0 to 6739.2 MHz | Inside 6 to 8.5 GHz | Inside 3.1 to 10.6 GHz | Outside the bands |
| 6 | 6988.8 MHz | 6739.2 to 7238.4 MHz | Inside | Inside | Outside the bands |
| 8 | 7488.0 MHz | 7238.4 to 7737.6 MHz | Inside | Inside | Lower edge just below 7.25 GHz |
| 9 | 7987.2 MHz | 7737.6 to 8236.8 MHz | Inside | Inside | Inside the indoor and outdoor bands |
| 10 | 8486.4 MHz | 8236.8 to 8736.0 MHz | Crosses 8.5 GHz: above it, -65 dBm/MHz unless DAA | Inside | Inside 7.25 to 10.25 GHz indoors |
The spans are nominal (centre plus or minus 249.6 MHz); what a regulator measures is the emission of the finished product. Channel 9 is the only one of the five that falls inside the EU, US and Japanese bands at once.
FiRa Consortium and its certification program
Section titled “FiRa Consortium and its certification program”FiRa ("fine ranging") was launched on August 1, 2019 by four sponsor members: the ASSA ABLOY Group (including HID Global), NXP Semiconductors, Samsung Electronics and Bosch. Sony Imaging Products and Solutions, LitePoint and the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) were the first companies to join. FiRa launched the initial phase of its certification program on October 27, 2021, covering MAC and PHY conformance.
Certification releases, dated
Section titled “Certification releases, dated”| Release | Date | What it added |
|---|---|---|
| Initial phase | October 27, 2021 | MAC and PHY conformance, testing by Authorized Test Labs |
| Certification Program 2.0 | December 6, 2023 | Feature set certification: time-schedule-based TWR, contention-based TWR, OWR DL-TDoA, OWR AoA; optional non-deferred DS-TWR, data transfer with ranging, dynamic STS, provisioned STS |
| Core 3.0 | January 14, 2025 | Hybrid UWB Scheduling, MAC data transfer through the link layer (bypass, connection-less, connection-oriented), CCC Digital Key UWB, Aliro UWB |
| Core 4.0 | December 3, 2025 | OWR UL-TDoA, Suspend Ranging for DS and SS TWR, full scope of Aliro UWB features |
All Release 3.0 features remain available in Release 4.0. When a new release is published there is an overlap period during which a vendor may certify to either release; after it, new certifications use the new release. A device certified to a release stays certified when a later release supersedes it, but each certificate covers only the hardware, software and firmware version that was tested.
What is actually certified
Section titled “What is actually certified”FiRa certifies feature sets of the UWB subsystem (UWBS), not use-case profiles. A feature set is a feature component plus one or more device roles. Core certification covers the PHY, MAC and link layers below the UCI interface and has two parts, conformance testing and interoperability testing. FiRa says it "may extend its certification offering to include profile certification or similar" in the future; today, a product cannot be FiRa Certified "for Access Control" or "for RTLS".
| Feature component | Use case named by FiRa | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Time-schedule-based two-way ranging (TWR) | Physical access control, generic distance measurement | Release 2.0 |
| Contention-based TWR | "Find someone, find something" | Release 2.0 |
| One-way ranging downlink TDoA | Untracked indoor navigation | Release 2.0 |
| One-way ranging AoA | Point-and-trigger control | Release 2.0 |
| Hybrid UWB Scheduling | Several applications running deterministically, for example public transport | Release 3.0 |
| MAC data transfer over a link layer mode | Data exchange using UWB airtime | Release 3.0 |
| CCC Digital Key UWB, Aliro UWB | Vehicle access, access control | Release 3.0 (Aliro scope completed in 4.0) |
| One-way ranging uplink TDoA | Asset tracking by fixed anchors | Release 4.0 |
Process and fees
Section titled “Process and fees”- Join FiRa. The program is open only to members at the Sponsor, Contributor, Associate, Adopter and Affiliate levels.
- Submit contact information, device information and a Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PICS) through the members-only Certification Management System.
- Choose an Authorized Test Lab and send the device. The lab runs the tests with FiRa Validated Test Tools. The cost of testing is agreed between the member and the lab.
- Results go to FiRa. If the device passes, the member pays the listing fee, receives a Certificate of Conformance, may use the FiRa Certified logo under a signed Certification Mark License Agreement and the brand guidelines, and may have the device listed on the FiRa website.
| Listing fee (FiRa) | USD |
|---|---|
| Initial tested device | 2,500 |
| Rebranded device | 1,000 |
| Variant device | 1,000 |
| Device using a certified module | 1,000 |
| Recertification | 1,000 |
FiRa offers three paths: initial certification (all supported features tested), certification inheritance (test results reused from a previously certified device) and rebranding (name change only, no testing). A failed device gets no certificate and cannot be marketed as FiRa Certified until it passes a retest.
European Union: Decision 2019/785 and the EN 302 065 series
Section titled “European Union: Decision 2019/785 and the EN 302 065 series”The spectrum decision
Section titled “The spectrum decision”Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/785 of May 14, 2019 replaced Decision 2007/131/EC. Member States make the spectrum available on a non-interference, non-protected basis to UWB equipment that meets the Annex and is used indoors or, outdoors, is not attached to a fixed installation, fixed infrastructure or fixed outdoor antenna; vehicles are allowed where the Annex says so. Decision (EU) 2024/1467 of May 27, 2024 rewrote Article 3 and replaced the whole Annex, following CEPT Report 84 of July 7, 2023, to add fixed outdoor location tracking, general vehicular applications and higher-power indoor-only use in 6 to 8.5 GHz.
Limits are maximum mean e.i.r.p. spectral density and peak e.i.r.p. in 50 MHz.
| Category in the Annex (as replaced by 2024/1467) | 6 to 8.5 GHz mean / peak e.i.r.p. | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Generic UWB | -41.3 dBm/MHz / 0 dBm | No fixed outdoor, aircraft or road and rail vehicle installations. 3.1 to 4.8 GHz at -41.3 only with LDC or DAA; 8.5 to 9 GHz only with DAA |
| 2. Location tracking type 1 (LT1) | -41.3 dBm/MHz / 0 dBm | 8.5 to 9 GHz at -41.3 only with DAA |
| 3.1 Motor and railway vehicles, general | -53.3 dBm/MHz, or -41.3 with LDC or TPC plus exterior limit | Exterior limit -53.3 dBm/MHz |
| 3.2 Vehicular access, trigger-before-transmit | -41.3 dBm/MHz / 0 dBm (also 3.8 to 4.2 GHz) | LDC of 0.5 % or less in one hour, or TPC in 6 to 8.5 GHz |
| 3.3 Other vehicular, including infrastructure-to-vehicle | -41.3 dBm/MHz / 0 dBm | Vehicle antennas at 4 m maximum, duty cycle 1 % per second; fixed outdoor antennas directive, down tilted, 10 m maximum, 5 % per second |
| 4.1 Fixed outdoor radiodetermination, tracking, data acquisition | -41.3 dBm/MHz / 0 dBm | Duty cycle 5 % per second, antennas at 10 m maximum; above 2.5 m, total radiated PSD -46.3 dBm/MHz and directive down-tilted antennas (access control antennas exempt) |
| 4.2 Enhanced indoor devices | -31.3 dBm/MHz / 10 dBm | Duty cycle 5 % per second; portable devices above -41.3 only inside a network controlled by indoor infrastructure |
The Low Duty Cycle mitigation that unlocks -41.3 dBm/MHz between 3.1 and 4.8 GHz is defined in clause 4.5.3 of EN 302 065-1 V2.1.1: transmitter on time of 5 ms maximum per transmission, mean off time of at least 38 ms averaged over one second, total off time above 950 ms per second and total on time below 18 s per hour. It concerns the 3.1 to 4.8 GHz band, not channels 5 and 9.
Harmonised standards cited under the RED
Section titled “Harmonised standards cited under the RED”The EN 302 065 parts are split by application, not by "indoor location" or "presence sensing":
| Standard | Scope | Status in the OJ (Decision 2022/2191 as amended) |
|---|---|---|
| EN 302 065-1 V2.1.1 (2016-11) | Generic UWB applications | Cited |
| EN 302 065-2 V2.1.1 (2016-11) | UWB location tracking | Cited |
| EN 302 065-3 V2.1.1 (2016-11) | Ground-based vehicular applications | Cited with a notice: no trigger-before-transmit specifications. Withdrawn from February 14, 2027 (Decision 2025/1741) |
| EN 302 065-3-1 V3.2.1 | Vehicular access systems in 3.8 to 4.2 GHz or 6 to 8.5 GHz | Cited since August 14, 2025 (Decision 2025/1741) |
| EN 302 065-3-3 V3.1.0 | Radiodetermination in motor and railway vehicles, 6 to 8.5 GHz | Cited since September 7, 2026 (Decision 2026/2003) |
| EN 302 065-4 V1.1.1 (2016-11) | Material sensing below 10.6 GHz | Withdrawn from February 14, 2027 (Decision 2025/1741) |
| EN 302 065-4-1 V2.2.1 | Building material analysis, 30 MHz to 10.6 GHz | Cited since August 14, 2025 (Decision 2025/1741) |
| EN 302 065-4-4 V2.1.1 | Exterior material sensing for ground-based vehicles | Cited since September 7, 2026 (Decision 2026/2003) |
| EN 302 065-5 V1.1.1 (2017-09) | UWB onboard aircraft | Not in the list of Decision 2022/2191 |
A consumer ranging tag, phone accessory or indoor anchor normally falls under -1 or -2. The fixed outdoor and enhanced indoor categories of sections 4.1 and 4.2 were created in 2024, after these 2016 standards were written. If no cited standard covers the configuration, presumption of conformity is not available and the RED conformity route goes through a notified body. Article 3(3)(d), (e) and (f) also apply from August 1, 2025 to internet-connected radio equipment. For the wider list, see RED harmonised standards.
United States: Part 15 Subpart F
Section titled “United States: Part 15 Subpart F”Subpart F runs from section 15.501 to section 15.525 and was adopted in 2002 (67 FR 34856, May 16, 2002). A UWB transmitter is an intentional radiator with a fractional bandwidth of at least 0.20 or a UWB bandwidth of at least 500 MHz "at any point in time" (15.503(d)). Ranging tags, anchors and phones use either the indoor rules (15.517) or the handheld rules (15.519).
| Parameter | Indoor, 15.517 | Handheld, 15.519 |
|---|---|---|
| UWB bandwidth | 3100 to 10600 MHz | 3100 to 10600 MHz |
| 960 to 1610 MHz | -75.3 dBm | -75.3 dBm |
| 1610 to 1990 MHz | -53.3 dBm | -63.3 dBm |
| 1990 to 3100 MHz | -51.3 dBm | -61.3 dBm |
| 3100 to 10600 MHz | -41.3 dBm | -41.3 dBm |
| Above 10600 MHz | -51.3 dBm | -61.3 dBm |
| 1164 to 1240 and 1559 to 1610 MHz (1 kHz RBW) | -85.3 dBm | -85.3 dBm |
| Peak in 50 MHz around fM | 0 dBm | 0 dBm |
| Where | Indoors only; no outdoor antennas; emissions not directed outside the building | Indoors or outdoors; antennas only on the device; no fixed outdoor infrastructure |
| Transmission | Communications systems transmit only when sending to an associated receiver | Transmit only when sending to an associated receiver; stop within 10 s without an acknowledgement |
| Labelling | Indoor-only statement on the device or in the manual | None specific |
Limits above 960 MHz are average e.i.r.p. in 1 MHz RBW. For every UWB device, section 15.521(a) bans use in toys and operation on aircraft, ships or satellites. The practical consequence is that a fixed outdoor UWB anchor or an outdoor door reader fits neither category and has needed a waiver.
FCC 26-66, the 2026 rulemaking
Section titled “FCC 26-66, the 2026 rulemaking”The FCC adopted the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking FCC 26-66 (ET Docket 26-245, petitions RM-11844 from Bosch and RM-12014 from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation and others) on September 30, 2026 and released it on October 1, 2026. It records a sharp increase in nearly identical waiver requests for outdoor keyless entry and door locks, vehicle and rail ranging and precision tracking. It proposes to drop "at any point in time" from the UWB transmitter definition, and to create a new device category for compact devices in mobile or fixed configurations, indoors or outdoors, with physical safeguards (height limits, mounting restrictions, downward emissions), duty cycles under one percent in any 24-hour period, transmission only during active event-driven sessions and no wide-area networks. It also asks whether the toy ban and the aircraft, ship and satellite ban are still warranted. Comments are due 30 days, and replies 60 days, after Federal Register publication. Until a Report and Order takes effect, the current rules apply. Details: FCC proposes to rewrite its 2002 UWB rules.
Japan: ARIB STD-T91
Section titled “Japan: ARIB STD-T91”ARIB STD-T91 specifies UWB radio equipment under the Japanese Radio Act. Its designated bands are 3.4 to 4.8 GHz and 7.25 to 10.25 GHz for indoor use, and 7.587 to 8.4 GHz and 7.25 to 9 GHz for outdoor use. Version 3.0 (2019) first allowed outdoor use, in 7.587 to 8.4 GHz; version 4.0 (2022) widened the outdoor band and added radiolocation use. The current edition is therefore 4.0, not a 2006 text. ARIB STD-T91 designates no band between 4.8 and 7.25 GHz, so channels 5 and 6 cannot be used there.
Other markets, Korea included, have their own UWB rules, which this page does not cover; check each before choosing channels.
CCC Digital Key Release 3 and the automotive layer
Section titled “CCC Digital Key Release 3 and the automotive layer”The Car Connectivity Consortium finalised Digital Key Release 3.0 in July 2021. Release 2.0 used NFC; Release 3.0 adds UWB combined with Bluetooth Low Energy for passive keyless access and engine start, and keeps NFC for backward compatibility and battery-low mode. CCC describes the UWB part as secure distance bounding with cryptographically secured time-of-flight measurements between the phone and several transceivers in the vehicle.
Two facts link it to FiRa. In November 2023 CCC and FiRa formed the Joint UWB MAC PHY Working Group (JUMPWG) to develop and maintain the UWB specifications used in the CCC Digital Key. And since Release 3.0 of January 2025, the FiRa program offers "CCC Digital Key UWB" as a certifiable feature. CCC runs its own Digital Key certification, open only to CCC members, at its authorized test labs. For the Bluetooth LE side, see Bluetooth SIG qualification.
Antennas and AoA
Section titled “Antennas and AoA”Angle of Arrival is computed from the phase difference between two or more receive antennas. Half a wavelength is about 18.8 mm at channel 9 and 23.1 mm at channel 5. Any phase offset between the receive paths that the product itself introduces is read as a change of angle:
- unequal trace lengths between antenna and receiver,
- asymmetric matching networks,
- an uneven ground plane, or a metal part closer to one antenna than to the other,
- the enclosure and the user's hand, which detune the antennas differently.
The usual answers are a symmetric layout with identical feed lines and matching, a phase calibration of each unit at end of line stored in non-volatile memory, a check of that calibration over temperature, and mechanical fixing of the antenna array relative to the enclosure. FiRa certifies the "OWR AoA" feature component; AoA quality in the final product depends on this integration work.
Claims the texts contradict
Section titled “Claims the texts contradict”| Common claim (including earlier versions of this page) | What the text says |
|---|---|
| "FiRa was founded in 2019 by Bosch, NXP, Samsung, Sony and ASSA ABLOY" | Four sponsor members launched it on August 1, 2019: the ASSA ABLOY Group with HID Global, NXP, Samsung and Bosch. Sony Imaging Products and Solutions, LitePoint and TTA were the first to join |
| "The FiRa certification program launched in 2023" | The initial phase launched on October 27, 2021. December 2023 is Certification Program 2.0 |
| "Products are FiRa Certified per profile: Access Control, Mobile, RTLS, Smart Home" | FiRa certifies feature sets (feature components and device roles). Profile certification is only something FiRa "may" offer in the future |
| "802.15.4z added two physical layers, an enhanced HRP and a new LRP" | The amendment enhances the existing HRP and LRP UWB physical layers and their ranging techniques |
| "EN 302 065-4 covers indoor location and -5 presence sensing" | Part 4 is material sensing below 10.6 GHz, part 5 is UWB onboard aircraft, part 3 is ground-based vehicles |
| "EU UWB is harmonised by CEPT/ECC Decision (06)04 at -41.3 dBm/MHz with a duty cycle of typically 0.5 % below 4 GHz" | The binding EU act is Implementing Decision 2019/785, Annex replaced by 2024/1467. The 6 to 8.5 GHz band has no duty cycle limit for generic use. LDC applies to 3.1 to 4.8 GHz: 5 ms maximum on time, 950 ms off per second, under 18 s on per hour |
| "FCC Subpart F is sections 15.503 to 15.525" | Subpart F runs from 15.501 to 15.525 |
| "FCC handheld devices must be switched off when not transmitting" | They may transmit only when sending to an associated receiver and must stop within 10 s without an acknowledgement; fixed outdoor infrastructure is prohibited |
| "Channels 5 and 9 are safe in the EU, US, Japan and Korea" | Channel 5 (6240 to 6739.2 MHz) is outside the Japanese bands, which start again at 7.25 GHz |
| "Japan regulates UWB under ARIB STD-T91 (2006)" | The current edition is version 4.0 (2022); outdoor use was added in version 3.0 (2019) |
| "CCC Releases 1 and 2 relied on NFC and BLE" | Release 2.0 used NFC; Bluetooth LE and UWB arrived together in Release 3.0 |
Step-by-step plan
Section titled “Step-by-step plan”- Fix use case, configuration and markets. Portable, fixed indoor, fixed outdoor or in-vehicle decides the EU category and the FCC section, and may need a waiver in the US until FCC 26-66 is concluded.
- Choose channels per market. Channel 9 for EU, US and Japan; channel 5 for EU and US only; channel 10 needs DAA above 8.5 GHz in the EU.
- Choose the chip or module for the FiRa feature components you need, and check its FiRa certification and release.
- Design the antenna array for AoA if needed, with symmetric layout and an end-of-line phase calibration.
- Pre-compliance radio tests against EN 302 065-1 or -2 and Part 15 Subpart F, including the spectral mask outside the UWB band.
- EU conformity: RED assessment with the cited EN 302 065 part, notified body if no cited standard covers the configuration, plus article 3(3)(d), (e) and (f) for internet-connected equipment. See RED.
- US authorisation under 15.517 or 15.519 through a TCB, or a waiver if the product needs fixed outdoor infrastructure. See FCC.
- Japan: technical conformity to the rules that ARIB STD-T91 implements, for the indoor or outdoor bands used.
- FiRa certification: membership, PICS, Authorized Test Lab, Certificate of Conformance, listing fee.
- CCC certification in addition for vehicle access products.
- Maintenance: track FiRa releases (802.15.4ab work announced), EN 302 065 withdrawals on February 14, 2027, and the FCC 26-66 outcome.
For the durations set by the texts, see certification timeline.
Frequent pitfalls
Section titled “Frequent pitfalls”| Pitfall | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Channel 5 only, for a product sold in Japan | No usable band in Japan, hardware or firmware change |
| Channel 10 in the EU without DAA | Emission above 8.5 GHz exceeds -65 dBm/MHz |
| Fixed outdoor anchor declared as generic EU use | Generic use excludes fixed outdoor installations; section 4.1 conditions (height, duty cycle, directivity) apply |
| Outdoor door reader or anchor certified under FCC 15.519 | Handheld rules prohibit fixed outdoor infrastructure; a waiver has been needed |
| Indoor FCC device without the indoor-only statement | Non-conformity with 15.517(f) |
| Dossier still built on EN 302 065-3 V2.1.1 or -4 V1.1.1 after February 14, 2027 | Presumption of conformity lost for those references |
| "FiRa Certified" claimed before the Certificate of Conformance | FiRa states a device may not be called certified until it has been certified |
| FiRa certification treated as radio approval | No CE or FCC conformity without the regulatory route |
Going further
Section titled “Going further”- RED: EU radio framework that anchors EN 302 065 compliance
- RED harmonised standards: the full citation list and withdrawal dates
- RED: eight new citations, five deferred to 2028: Decision 2026/2003, which cites EN 302 065-3-3 and -4-4
- FCC: US framework, reference for Part 15 Subpart F
- FCC proposes to rewrite its 2002 UWB rules: NPRM FCC 26-66 in detail
- Bluetooth SIG qualification: the Bluetooth LE side of phone-as-a-key
- Certification timeline: the durations set by the texts
- Glossary: definitions of UWB, e.i.r.p. and related terms
See also
Section titled “See also”- MFi (Made for iPhone), Apple accessory certification
- Amazon AVS and Google Cast accessory certification
- USB-IF: USB-C, USB4 and USB Power Delivery certification
- DECT Forum: certification of classic DECT and DECT NR+
Sources & references
- IEEE 802.15.4z-2020, Enhanced Ultra Wideband (UWB) Physical Layers (PHYs) and Associated Ranging Techniques, IEEE standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.15.4z/7460/
- IEEE 802.15 Task Group 4ab, UWB Next Generation (purpose and scope), IEEE 802.15 www.ieee802.org/15/pub/TG4ab.html
- FiRa Certification Program (Core certification, Release 4.0 feature sets), FiRa Consortium www.firaconsortium.org/certifications/certification-program
- FiRa Certification Process Overview (steps and listing fees), FiRa Consortium www.firaconsortium.org/certifications/certification-process
- FiRa Certification FAQ, FiRa Consortium www.firaconsortium.org/certifications/certification-faq
- FiRa Consortium launch announcement, August 1, 2019, FiRa Consortium www.firaconsortium.org/news/press-releases/2019/08/key-industry-players-the-assa-abloy-group-hid-nxp-samsung-bosch-sony
- FiRa launches the initial phase of its certification program, October 27, 2021, FiRa Consortium www.firaconsortium.org/news/press-releases/2021/10/fira-consortium-hits-major-milestones-in-ultrawideband-momentum
- FiRa Core 4.0 Specifications and Certification Program, December 3, 2025, FiRa Consortium www.firaconsortium.org/news/press-releases/2025/12/fira-consortium-unveils-fira-core-4-0-specifications-and-certification
- FiRa to integrate IEEE 802.15.4ab advancements, October 21, 2025, FiRa Consortium www.firaconsortium.org/news/press-releases/2025/10/fira-consortium-to-integrate-ieee-802-15-4ab-advancements-into-future
- CCC and FiRa form the Joint UWB MAC PHY Working Group, November 2023, FiRa Consortium www.firaconsortium.org/news/press-releases/2023/11/car-connectivity-consortium-and-fira-consortium-partner-on-uwb
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/785 on the harmonisation of radio spectrum for UWB equipment, European Commission eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2019/785/oj
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1467 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/785, European Commission eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/1467/oj
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2191 on harmonised standards for radio equipment, European Commission eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2022/2191/oj
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1741 (EN 302 065-3-1 and -4-1 cited, -3 and -4 withdrawn from February 14, 2027), European Commission eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/1741/oj
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2003 (EN 302 065-3-3 and -4-4 cited), European Commission eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/2003/oj
- ETSI EN 302 065-1 V2.1.1 (2016-11), Requirements for Generic UWB applications, ETSI www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/302000_302099/30206501/02.01.01_60/en_30206501v020101p.pdf
- 47 CFR Part 15 Subpart F, Ultra-Wideband Operation, eCFR www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-15/subpart-F
- Unleashing the Power of Unlicensed Ultra-Wideband Devices, NPRM FCC 26-66, ET Docket 26-245, Federal Communications Commission docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-26-66A1.pdf
- ARIB STD-T91, UWB Radio System (overview and amendment history), ARIB www.arib.or.jp/english/std_tr/telecommunications/desc/std-t91.html
- Car Connectivity Consortium publishes Digital Key Release 3.0, Car Connectivity Consortium carconnectivity.org/car-connectivity-consortium-publishes-digital-key-release-3-0-businesswire/
- Car Connectivity Consortium, Digital Key and certification, Car Connectivity Consortium carconnectivity.org/digital-key/
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between IEEE 802.15.4z and FiRa?
- IEEE 802.15.4z-2020 is an amendment to IEEE 802.15.4 that enhances the existing HRP and LRP UWB physical layers and the associated ranging techniques, with MAC changes to support them. The FiRa Consortium, launched on August 1, 2019, builds on the IEEE layers: its PHY, MAC and UCI technical specifications profile the IEEE features and its certification program tests the UWB subsystem (PHY, MAC and link layer) for conformance and interoperability. A chip can implement 802.15.4z without being FiRa Certified, and only a device that has passed testing at a FiRa Authorized Test Lab may be called FiRa Certified.
- Does FiRa certification replace national radio certification?
- No. FiRa is an industry conformance and interoperability program, not a radio authorisation. In the EU a UWB device must meet the RED, with spectrum conditions set by Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/785 as amended by (EU) 2024/1467 and harmonised standards from the EN 302 065 series cited under Decision (EU) 2022/2191. In the US it needs FCC equipment authorisation under 47 CFR Part 15 Subpart F (sections 15.501 to 15.525). FiRa certification sits on top of these regimes.
- What does 802.15.4z add to the HRP UWB PHY?
- The amendment improves the integrity and accuracy of ranging measurements with additional coding and preamble options, changes to the existing modulations and new information elements for exchanging ranging results. The best-known addition is the Scrambled Timestamp Sequence (STS), a pseudo-random pulse sequence derived from key material shared by the two devices, which the receiver uses to validate the arrival time of a ranging frame. FiRa certifies dynamic STS and provisioned STS as optional features.
- Why does antenna design dominate AoA performance?
- Angle of Arrival is computed from the phase difference measured between two or more receive antennas spaced about half a wavelength apart (about 18.8 mm at channel 9, 7987.2 MHz). Any phase offset that the product adds between the receive paths, through unequal trace lengths, asymmetric matching, a nearby metal part or an uneven ground plane, is read as a change of angle. That is why AoA products need symmetric layouts and a per-unit phase calibration, and why the error usually comes from integration rather than from the chip.
- Which UWB channels are usable in the EU, the US and Japan?
- In the EU, generic UWB devices may emit -41.3 dBm/MHz mean e.i.r.p. between 6 and 8.5 GHz without mitigation (Decision 2019/785). Below that, 3.1 to 4.8 GHz needs Low Duty Cycle or Detect and Avoid, and 8.5 to 9 GHz needs Detect and Avoid. In the US, indoor and handheld devices may emit -41.3 dBm/MHz between 3.1 and 10.6 GHz (15.517, 15.519). Japan opens 3.4 to 4.8 GHz and 7.25 to 10.25 GHz indoors and parts of 7.25 to 9 GHz outdoors (ARIB STD-T91). Channel 9 (7987.2 MHz) fits all three; channel 5 (6489.6 MHz) fits the EU and US but lies outside the Japanese bands.
- How does CCC Digital Key 3.0 relate to FiRa?
- The Car Connectivity Consortium finalised Digital Key Release 3.0 in July 2021. It adds UWB combined with Bluetooth Low Energy for passive, location-aware vehicle access, and keeps NFC for backward compatibility and battery-low mode. Since November 2023 the UWB part is maintained by a joint CCC and FiRa working group (JUMPWG), and since FiRa Certification Release 3.0 (January 2025) FiRa offers a "CCC Digital Key UWB" conformance feature. CCC runs its own Digital Key certification for vehicle and device products.
- What are the typical pitfalls of a UWB certification campaign?
- Using a channel that is not open in a target market (channel 5 in Japan, channel 10 above 8.5 GHz in the EU). Installing a fixed outdoor anchor under rules that exclude fixed outdoor use (EU generic usage, FCC handheld rules). Assuming the 2016 EN 302 065 standards cover the fixed outdoor and enhanced indoor categories added by Decision 2024/1467. Claiming FiRa Certified status before a Certificate of Conformance is issued. And treating FiRa certification as if it covered radio regulation.
- How does a device get FiRa Certified?
- Only FiRa members (Sponsor, Contributor, Associate, Adopter and Affiliate levels) can certify. The member submits contact and device information and a Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PICS) through the members-only Certification Management System, chooses an Authorized Test Lab, and sends the device for testing with FiRa Validated Test Tools. If it passes, the member pays a listing fee (USD 2,500 for an initially tested device, USD 1,000 for a rebranded or variant device, a device using a certified module, or a recertification) and receives a Certificate of Conformance. Test lab fees are separate.