The FiRa name, which stands for "fine ranging" and is pronounced "fee-rah", highlights UWB technology's unique ability to deliver unprecedented accuracy and security when measuring the distance to a target or determining position. As an industry Consortium, we believe UWB technology can transform the way people experience connectivity, and we’re committed to the widespread adoption of UWB-driven applications.
Why Does UWB Need a Consortium?
The FiRa Consortium is the organization dedicated to growing the UWB ecosystem, so new use cases for fine ranging capabilities can thrive. Our members know that the success of secure UWB fine ranging depends on an interoperable, holistic, and inter-connected ecosystem. That knowledge drives us to ensure interoperability between multiple devices, through compliance and certification programs. It also leads us to work in close collaboration with other industry organizations, such as the IEEE, the Wi-Fi Alliance, the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC), and others. Our work with these organizations will focus on UWB use cases operating in the available 6-9 GHz spectrum.
As part of our efforts to expand the UWB ecosystem, we work to attract member companies who bring extensive ecosystem know-how, leadership positions in targeted market verticals, and broad technical and system expertise, as well as a strong presence and experience in other consortia relevant to UWB. At the same time, to help overcome UWB’s stereotype as an old communication technology, we continually promote the new name, FiRa (Fine Ranging), which emphasizes UWB’s transformation as a secure, fine-ranging and sensing technology. We support all these efforts with strong market outreach and education on the benefits of using UWB technology.
Today, there is no other industry organization providing this level of focus on UWB.
Commitment to Collaboration
Developing a complete ecosystem, by providing a full technical solution for UWB-based services and full coverage of vertical services, means working with other consortia and industry stakeholders to develop approaches and define parameters. There are many technologies that complement UWB, such as NFC, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, and there are adjacent markets that are leveraging UWB in other ways, especially in the automotive domain / vertical which is specifically addressed by the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC). We are committed to complementary cooperation with all these players.
Also, our dedication to an open ecosystem means we welcome the contributions of every key stakeholder, from chip and device manufacturers to system integrators, service and technology providers, test tool developers, test labs, and academics. By collaborating across disciplines, we create a stronger ecosystem for UWB technology as a whole.
