FiRa Consortium Hits Major Milestones in Ultra-Wideband Momentum

FiRa’s Certification program is a crucial foundational element for interoperability of devices utilizing Ultra-Wideband’s pinpoint location capabilities

BEAVERTON, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#FiRa–The FiRa™ Consortium, a catalyst for bringing leading innovators together to drive Ultra-Wideband (UWB) expansion, is today announcing two milestones in the market acceptance of UWB technology. The first is the launch of the initial phase of its certification program aimed at driving interoperability between UWB devices. At the same time, FiRa Consortium is announcing it has now surpassed 100 members, including all of the top handset manufacturers globally, plus market leaders across semiconductors, networking, secure access, and consumer technology.

“UWB is fast becoming a pillar of wireless local connectivity technology alongside Wi-Fi and Bluetooth,” said Charlie Zhang, Board Chair of FiRa Consortium. “When combined with the membership momentum we are seeing, our certification program signifies that the market is prepared and ready for broad implementation of UWB across market sectors.”

FiRa Consortium’s certification program is the first to provide baseline testing and certification focused on UWB’s pinpoint location and spacing capabilities, one of the key steps needed to facilitate interoperability of devices. This is an essential component of FiRa’s vision for the future of fine-ranging UWB where certified smart phones can find location tags, securely unlock doors and interact seamlessly with consumer electronics built using FiRa-certified UWB technology from any vendor.

All FiRa Certified™ devices will be tested by independent Authorized Test Laboratories (ATLs) using the FiRa Device Certification Process. Devices must meet FiRa specifications for MAC/PHY conformance – demonstrating that the device conforms to the relevant FiRa specifications.

“Interoperability across vendors is foundational to the growth of any open technology ecosystem,” stated Reinhard Meindl, Co-Chair of the Compliance & Certification Working Group at FiRa Consortium. “Our base certification program is an important first step, ensuring an essential layer of conformance as we build a platform for continued growth in UWB usage.”

Manufacturers can now start moving towards certifying their devices for MAC/PHY conformance. The first products will be certified by the end of 2021, with many more expected to be certified in 2022. FiRa Consortium will continue to develop UWB certification for layers above MAC/PHY, with the next iteration slated for mid-2022.

About FiRa Consortium

Headquartered in Beaverton, OR, the FiRa Consortium is a member-driven organization dedicated to the development and widespread adoption of seamless user experiences using the secured fine ranging and positioning capabilities of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technologies. To learn more about the FiRa Consortium, visit www.firaconsortium.org.

© 2021 FiRa Consortium. All rights reserved. FiRa, FiRa Consortium, the FiRa logo, the FiRa Certified logo, and FiRa tagline are trademarks or registered trademarks of FiRa Consortium or its licensor(s)/supplier(s) in the US and other countries and may not be used without permission. All other trademarks, service marks, and product or service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Contacts

Ardavan Tehrani

FiRa Consortium

Marketing Working Group Co-Chair

Telephone: +1 650 842 0799

Email: press@firaconsortium.org

Deb Spitler

FiRa Consortium

Marketing Working Group Co-Chair

Telephone: +1 949 439 5908

Email: press@firaconsortium.org