FCC UWB Rules Update: United States Part 15 Overhaul

United States: FCC UWB Rules Update Proposes a Full Overhaul of Part 15 Subpart F for Ultra-Wideband Devices

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has opened the first comprehensive review of the FCC UWB rules since unlicensed Ultra-Wideband (UWB) operation was authorized in the United States in 2002. On September 30, 2026, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), identified as FCC 26-66 in ET Docket No. 26-245 and titled Unleashing the Power of Unlicensed Ultra-Wideband Devices. The NPRM was released on October 1, 2026.

The proposal targets Part 15, Subpart F of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations (47 CFR §§ 15.501–15.525). It aims to replace a framework that has depended heavily on case-by-case waivers with rules that reflect how current UWB devices are designed, tested and deployed.

This is a proposal, not a final rule. The existing requirements remain in force until the FCC adopts a Report and Order.

FCC UWB Rules Update at a Glance

Item	Detail
Country	United States
Regulator	Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Office of Engineering and Technology
Instrument	Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), FCC 26-66
Proceeding	ET Docket No. 26-245; RM-11844; RM-12014
Adopted	September 30, 2026
Released	October 1, 2026
Rules affected	47 CFR Part 15, Subpart F (UWB), plus § 15.31(c) measurement provisions
Status	Proposed rules open for public comment; no change in force
Comment deadline	30 days after publication in the Federal Register
Reply comment deadline	60 days after publication in the Federal Register

Background: Why the FCC Is Revisiting the 2002 Framework

The FCC adopted its first UWB rules on February 14, 2002. The Commission described those rules at the time as deliberately conservative, because UWB was a new technology and its interference potential was not yet well understood.

UWB has since become a mainstream technology. It supports digital car keys, smart door locks, asset and personnel tracking, factory automation, vehicle and rail ranging systems, ground penetrating radar (GPR), through-wall imaging for public safety, and medical sensing.

The rules did not keep pace. Many modern designs use stepped-frequency, swept-frequency (FMCW) or frequency-hopping waveforms that do not fit the 2002 definitions or test methods. As a result, manufacturers have repeatedly needed individual waivers before obtaining certification.

Two petitions for rulemaking prompted the review:

• Robert Bosch LLC (RM-11844), filed June 18, 2019, requesting a broad modernization of Subpart F.

• Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Car Connectivity Consortium, FiRa Consortium, Profibus & Profinet International / omlox, and the UWB Alliance (RM-12014), filed December 18, 2025, requesting targeted updates.

  
  

Key Proposals in the FCC UWB Rules NPRM

1. Updated UWB transmitter definition

Under § 15.503(d), a UWB transmitter must have a fractional bandwidth of at least 0.20 or a UWB bandwidth of at least 500 MHz "at any point in time." The FCC tentatively concludes that this phrase should be removed. The change would bring frequency-hopping, stepped-frequency, swept-frequency and other time-varying waveforms within the definition, and would in effect codify the many waivers already granted.

2. Modernized measurement procedures

The FCC proposes two targeted changes:

• Exempt UWB devices from § 15.31(c), which requires swept-frequency devices to be measured with the sweep stopped.

• Amend § 15.521(d) so that devices using pulse gating may be measured in their normal operating mode, without stopping the hop, step or sequence function.

  
  

These changes would codify an approach the Commission has allowed by waiver since 2005.

3. A new UWB device category

The current hand-held category (§ 15.519) requires devices to be hand held and prohibits fixed outdoor infrastructure. This has generated a steady flow of near-identical waiver requests for outdoor door locks, keyless entry, and vehicle and rail ranging systems.

The FCC proposes a new category for compact devices that may be mobile or fixed and may operate indoors or outdoors. The safeguards under consideration include:

• Transmission only during active, event-driven sessions, with the device idle otherwise

• A duty cycle below 1% in any 24-hour period

• A prohibition on forming wide-area networks

• Height limits, mounting restrictions and downward-directed emissions

• Limits on power spectral density, antenna directivity and pulse repetition frequency

  
  

The Commission seeks comment on the exact values, including emission limits, dwell times, antenna patterns and whether installations up to 20 meters should be allowed to support low-altitude drone operations.

4. AI-enabled sensing

The FCC asks whether a separate device class is needed for AI-based UWB sensing systems, such as robotics and autonomous platforms. It also signals that UWB equipment integrated with AI technologies will continue to be reviewed against national security requirements.

5. End of written coordination for imaging systems

Section 15.525 requires operators of UWB imaging systems to notify the FCC in writing before operation, for coordination with NTIA. The FCC proposes to eliminate this requirement and the related cross-references in §§ 15.509, 15.510, 15.511 and 15.513. The Commission notes that it is not aware of this information ever being used to resolve an interference case.

6. Scope-of-use restrictions

Section 15.521(a) prohibits UWB in toys and on board aircraft, ships and satellites. The FCC seeks comment on whether these restrictions remain justified, including:

• Removing the prohibition on toys, a term the rules never defined

• Allowing operation on ships, starting with vessels on inland waters

• Permitting UWB-based autonomous drone navigation and landing systems

• Conditions for use on aircraft and satellites, such as geofencing, altitude limits and channel restrictions

  
  

7. Ground penetrating radar

The FCC asks whether the recurring technical conditions in past GPR waivers should be written into the rules. These include emission notching in protected bands, dwell-time limits per frequency step, ground-contact activation and measurement with stepping active.

8. Wider review of the framework

The NPRM also seeks comment on:

• Eligibility: whether operator restrictions for imaging systems (law enforcement, fire and rescue, medical, certain industrial users) are still needed

• Marketing and labeling: whether § 15.507 and the device-specific label statements can be simplified, consolidated or removed

• Emission limits: whether average or peak limits could be raised or unified across device classes

• "Ten-second" rule: whether the manual or remote switch requirement for imaging systems should be modified or removed

• Redundant rules: provisions in §§ 15.521 and 15.523 that duplicate other Part 15 requirements

What Does Not Change

• GPS protection. The FCC states that it is not proposing any change to the emission limits that protect the GPS bands.

• Non-interference status. UWB devices remain Part 15 devices. They may not cause harmful interference and must accept interference.

• Waiver process. Waivers remain available for devices that still fall outside the rules.

• Current certification rules. All existing Subpart F requirements apply until final rules are adopted and take effect.

  
  

Certification Impact Summary

Area	Current requirement	Proposed change	Certification impact
UWB definition (§ 15.503(d))	Bandwidth threshold must be met "at any point in time"	Remove that phrase	Stepped, swept and hopping devices could qualify as UWB without a waiver
Test procedures (§§ 15.31(c), 15.521(d))	Sweep or step function stopped during measurement	Measurement in normal operating mode	Test plans and reports would change; fewer waiver-based test conditions
Device categories (§ 15.519)	Hand-held only; no fixed outdoor infrastructure	New category for mobile or fixed, indoor or outdoor devices	Direct certification route for door locks, access control and ranging systems
Imaging coordination (§ 15.525)	Written notice to the FCC before operation	Eliminate	Lower post-certification burden for imaging system users
Scope of use (§ 15.521(a))	No toys, aircraft, ships or satellites	Under review; inland waters proposed first	Possible new product classes; existing grant notes may need updating
Eligibility, marketing, labeling	Restricted users and specific label statements	Simplify, consolidate or remove	Possible changes to labels, user manuals and sales channels
Emission limits	Device-specific limits; 0 dBm EIRP peak in 50 MHz	Under review; GPS limits unchanged	No change now; possible design headroom later
Existing grants	Grant notes reflect current prohibitions	FCC asks how to treat certified devices	Grantees may need to request updated grant conditions

What This Means for Manufacturers

No immediate compliance change. Products must continue to meet the current Subpart F rules and any waiver conditions that apply to them. FCC certification applications in progress are not affected.

Waiver-dependent products stand to benefit most. Manufacturers of stepped-frequency GPR, FMCW sensors, outdoor access control, fixed ranging anchors and vehicle-mounted UWB could gain a standard certification path in place of an individual waiver proceeding.

Test strategy will need review. If normal-operating-mode measurement is codified, test laboratories and manufacturers will need to align test plans, firmware test modes and reports with the new procedures.

Design decisions should track the new category. Duty cycle, mounting height, antenna pattern and session-based transmission are the parameters most likely to define eligibility. Products in development should be assessed against them now.

Existing grants may need attention. Many UWB certifications carry grant notes prohibiting use in toys or on aircraft, ships and satellites. The FCC is asking how certified devices and inventory should be treated if these restrictions are relaxed.

Technical evidence will shape the outcome. The FCC repeatedly asks for coexistence studies, link budgets and measurement data, with particular attention to Federal systems, aeronautical services and satellite navigation. Manufacturers with real deployment data are well placed to influence the final limits.

Supply chain review continues. The NPRM links UWB equipment, especially AI-enabled devices, to the Commission's national security work, including the Covered List.

Global alignment is not automatic. The petitions cite more flexible UWB rules in other markets, but the FCC has not committed to harmonization. Multi-market products will still need a country-by-country assessment.

Timeline and Required Actions

Date	Milestone	Required action
February 14, 2002	FCC adopts the first UWB rules	None. Baseline framework still in force
June 18, 2019	Bosch petition (RM-11844)	None
December 18, 2025	Joint industry petition (RM-12014)	None
September 9, 2026	FCC publishes fact sheet and draft NPRM	None
September 30, 2026	NPRM adopted (FCC 26-66)	Brief regulatory, RF design and product teams
October 1, 2026	NPRM released	Review the full text; map the UWB portfolio against each proposal
To be confirmed	Publication in the Federal Register	Monitor; publication starts the comment clock
Publication + 30 days	Comment deadline	File comments in ET Docket No. 26-245 via ECFS, with technical data
Publication + 60 days	Reply comment deadline	Respond to positions filed by incumbents and other stakeholders
No fixed date	Report and Order with final rules	Update test plans, labels, manuals and certification strategy
After final rules take effect	New framework applies	Certify under the new rules; request updates to existing grants where applicable