FCC ultra-wideband rulemaking (ET Docket 26-245)
The FCC has proposed its first comprehensive review of the 2002 ultra-wideband rules, including a new category for location devices that could be limited to industrial sites, but until an order is adopted the current Part 15 Subpart F rules govern your tags and anchors.
- Tracking
- FCC ET Docket No. 26-245, Unleashing the Power of Unlicensed Ultra-Wideband Devices (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking FCC 26-66, with petitions RM-11844 and RM-12014)
- Stage
- Notice of proposed rulemaking released; awaiting Federal Register publication
- Where it stands
- The FCC released its UWB notice of proposed rulemaking on October 1, 2026, and as of October 5, 2026 it has not appeared in the Federal Register, whose publication starts the 30-day comment and 60-day reply clocks.
- Last checked
Timeline
FCC adopts the first UWB rules1
The First Report and Order in ET Docket 98-153 permitted imaging systems, vehicular radars, and indoor and outdoor communication devices under Part 15 Subpart F.
A manufacturer petitions the FCC to modernize the UWB rules (RM-11844)1
The petition argued that the 2002 framework was intentionally conservative and that most current UWB products needed waivers to be certified. Twenty-four parties commented.
Five industry groups file a joint petition for targeted UWB updates (RM-12014)1
The petitioners include the FiRa Consortium and PROFIBUS & PROFINET International / omlox. They asked the FCC to drop "at any point in time" from the transmitter definition and to replace the hand held category with a short-range one covering non-fixed, affixed and vehicle-mounted devices.
OET opens ET Docket 26-245 (DA 26-953)2
The docket is captioned "Unleashing the Power of Unlicensed Ultra-Wideband Devices", and presentations are permit-but-disclose.
FCC posts the draft notice and fact sheet3
The fact sheet lists a proposed new device category for uses including factory automation and autonomous navigation.
Commission adopts the notice of proposed rulemaking (FCC 26-66)1
It proposes a new category for compact location devices, mobile or fixed, indoors or outdoors, with height and mounting limits and duty cycles under one percent in any 24-hour period.
FCC releases the notice of proposed rulemaking1
Comments are due 30 days and replies 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
- Today
What it means on the plant floor
- Nothing changes for your tags and anchors yet, because the notice is a proposal and the current indoor and hand held rules in Part 15 Subpart F still apply.
- The proposed category targets location devices, mobile or fixed, indoors or outdoors, with duty cycles under one percent in any 24 hours, and the FCC asks whether to limit it to controlled environments such as industrial or manufacturing facilities.
- Ask your location vendor which rule or waiver each anchor and vehicle tag is certified under today, and whether the proposed category would change that.
- Whatever the FCC decides, UWB channel 5 still sits in the middle of the 6 GHz Wi-Fi band, so plan your location system and your 6 GHz rollout together.
What to watch next
- Federal Register publication of FCC 26-66, which sets the comment and reply deadlines. Expected: Comments 30 days and replies 60 days after publication.1
- The record on whether the new category should be limited to controlled environments such as industrial or manufacturing facilities, or have no usage restriction at all.1
- A report and order. Until one is adopted, Part 15 Subpart F and any waiver your devices were certified under still apply.4
In Signal
About this page
Built from 6 sources: 5 regulators and government sources and 1 other source. Researched and drafted with AI assistance, then reviewed and approved by Ben Rutter on . How pages are made
- First published
- Last updated
Change history (1)
- First published
Cite this page
Plain
Ben Rutter. "FCC ultra-wideband rulemaking (ET Docket 26-245)." OT Wireless, published October 6, 2026, updated October 5, 2026. https://otwireless.com/trackers/fcc-uwb-rulemaking-et-docket-26-245/
APA 7
Rutter, B. (2026, October 6). FCC ultra-wideband rulemaking (ET Docket 26-245). OT Wireless. https://otwireless.com/trackers/fcc-uwb-rulemaking-et-docket-26-245/
BibTeX
@misc{rutter2026fccuwbrulemakingetdocket26245,
author = {Rutter, Ben},
title = {{FCC ultra-wideband rulemaking (ET Docket 26-245)}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://otwireless.com/trackers/fcc-uwb-rulemaking-et-docket-26-245/}},
organization = {OT Wireless},
}