A New Regulatory Path for UWB
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has initiated a comprehensive review of its ultra-wideband (UWB) regulatory framework, signaling a potential shift for developers of location-sensing and robotics technologies. Under FCC 26-66, released in October 2026, the Commission is seeking to update Part 15, Subpart F rules that have remained largely unchanged since 2002. The NPRM proposes removing the phrase “at any point in time” from the UWB transmitter definition, exempting UWB devices from §15.31(c) requirements, and allowing pulse-gated devices to be measured in their normal operating mode under §15.521(d). This is a proposal, not a final rule; current regulatory requirements remain in force.
Distinct Petition Tracks
The NPRM addresses two separate petition tracks that reflect different industry priorities. The 2019 Bosch petition sought broad modernization to accommodate compact location-sensing imaging systems. Bosch proposed parameters including bandwidth up to 2.5 GHz within the 6-9 GHz range, duty cycles typically below 1%, antenna gain below 4 dBi and installation heights of 2-3 meters. The FCC says Bosch claimed the system could support motion detection around the clock, with 0.1-1 meter precision and a 15-18 meter detection distance. Bosch argued the existing framework did not reflect modern UWB design, measurement and use, contributing to repeated waiver requests.
By contrast, the 2025 joint petition—filed by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the Car Connectivity Consortium, FiRa Consortium, PROFIBUS & PROFINET International/omlox, and the UWB Alliance—requested five targeted changes: remove “at any point in time” from the UWB definition; define fixed outdoor infrastructure; remove “hand held” requirements from §15.519; allow a duty-cycle requirement as an alternative to the 10-second rule; and permit UWB in toys and aboard vessels on inland waters. The FCC’s notice on this petition drew eight comments and one ex parte filing, compared with 24 comments and four ex parte filings on Bosch’s petition. Separately, the FCC’s 2026 notice asks whether AI-enabled UWB sensing needs its own class; that is not one of the joint petition’s listed requests.
What the FCC Is Actually Proposing
The FCC proposes a new device category for compact location-sensing systems, while separately asking whether AI-enabled UWB sensing needs its own class. Neither is adopted. Under the current transmitter definition, a device must meet a bandwidth threshold of 500 megahertz or a fractional bandwidth threshold of 0.20 “at any point in time.” The Commission says that wording can exclude stepped, swept or frequency-hopping signals. It also proposes changing measurement provisions so certain devices can be tested in their normal operating mode rather than with a sweep or sequence stopped. The agency seeks technical studies on whether those methods and safeguards would affect coexistence with incumbent users, including federal systems. Current Part 15 rules remain in force unless and until the Commission adopts final changes.
Industry Positions and a Robotics Case
The UWB Alliance, in its 2019 reply comments on the Bosch petition, supported modernization while emphasizing that existing power limits in GPS bands should remain. That was an industry-alliance position, not an independent assessment. A historical robotics-company perspective comes from the FCC’s 2015 waiver order, which concerns iRobot’s request for an outdoor robotic lawn mower. The FCC order quotes iRobot saying its system “will not (and cannot) create a wide area communications system or network.” The order limited operation to residential use, kept beacons at or below 24 inches, barred communication with other devices and required emission compliance. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory objected over possible interference in radio astronomy frequencies, and the FCC imposed protections. That was a device-specific waiver, not a general safety finding or a decision about today’s AI sensing proposal.
What Developers Can Submit
For developers, the immediate question is what measurements and safeguards support a proposed device class. GMA Labs says conditionally that if the FCC adopts normal-operating-mode measurements, manufacturers and test labs would need to align test plans, firmware modes and reports. That is the firm’s view of a possible change, not a current requirement. The FCC asks for technical analysis and coexistence studies. In a separate article about compliance testing, Steve Hayes, Element’s Technical Director for Connected Technologies, wrote: “The cheapest quote is rarely cheaper testing. It is usually less testing.” His statement concerns certification testing generally, not FCC 26-66 or UWB specifically. Comments in ET Docket 26-245 are due Dec. 2, 2026, with replies due Jan. 4, 2027. Developers can submit measured waveform, duty-cycle and interference evidence through the FCC’s ECFS, while existing rules still govern certification.