FCC UWB Proposal: What Factory Automation Teams Should Track
The FCC has proposed a new UWB category covering factory automation and autonomous navigation. The proceeding is open; no final technical rules are in force.
PI North America and the omlox community issued a statement on October 7, 2026 supporting the US Federal Communications Commission’s proposed update to ultra-wideband rules. The underlying FCC action is a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, not a final rule.
What the FCC proposed
The FCC released its UWB fact sheet on September 9, 2026 for ET Docket No. 26-245. The proposal would revisit rules first adopted in 2002. It asks for comment on transmitter definitions, measurement procedures, emission limits, duty-cycle restrictions, antenna requirements, and several existing use restrictions.
One proposal is directly relevant to automation engineers: a new UWB device category for factory automation, autonomous navigation, and AI-enabled sensing. The FCC has not yet set the final technical parameters for that category.
Why PI and omlox responded
PI North America represents the regional PROFIBUS, PROFINET, IO-Link, and omlox community. Its October 7 statement argues that current US UWB rules do not reflect how locating systems are now used in factories and warehouses.
omlox is a vendor-neutral location framework. It can combine UWB with Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, GNSS, RFID, camera systems, and robot SLAM data. UWB is one possible positioning source, not the complete architecture.
Engineering impact if the rule changes
A modernized category could reduce the need for case-by-case waivers. It may also change which radios, measurement methods, and deployment constraints vendors use for US installations. That matters to projects involving:
- automatic guided vehicles and autonomous mobile robots;
- dynamic geofencing and proximity warnings;
- tool, pallet, and work-in-process tracking;
- shared location data across different tracking technologies.
For an operating plant, no immediate hardware change follows from this proposal. Existing design reviews should still use the radio’s current authorization, installed antenna configuration, regional firmware, and vendor instructions.
What project teams should track
- Docket scope: confirm whether the final order creates the proposed industrial category.
- Radio certification: check whether installed or specified anchors and tags require new grants or firmware.
- Measurement method: watch for changes that affect laboratory test results or supplier declarations.
- Interoperability: separate radio-layer compliance from omlox data-model compatibility.
- Safety claims: treat UWB location as one input to a safety design, not as a safety function by default.
The full proposal is available in the FCC’s September 9 fact sheet. PI North America’s response was published on October 7, 2026.
For related site coverage, see How Factory Sensor Data Becomes Actionable Intelligence and The Importance of Utilizing Real-time Data to Control Modern Industrial Applications.