Digital keys are gaining popularity, and a new committee led by Apple is tasked with establishing secure standards for their implementation.
The advent of digital keys might witness increased popularity and prevalence as a collaboration between automakers and the consumer tech industry has led to the formation of a new working group. This group aims to establish industrywide standards for ultra-wideband (UWB) connectivity. The collaboration involves the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC), including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and major car companies, along with the FiRa Consortium, a nonprofit supporting UWB, which includes Apple, Google, Cisco, Samsung, Qualcomm, and others. The resulting working group, named the Joint Ultra-wideband (UWB) MAC PHY Working Group (JUMPWG), is set to ensure long-term interoperability and scalability of advanced UWB technology, fostering broader adoption for secure and accurate ranging for vehicle access.
The outcome is a working group with a name that might be challenging to grasp
Jinjing Jiang, a wireless systems engineer at Apple, will lead the new working group. The objective is to convene phone and car manufacturers to discuss the necessary steps to establish secure and reliable standards agreeable to everyone. This collaborative effort aims to prevent cybersecurity breaches and misuse of technology by hackers, ensuring the safety of digital keys. The CCC Digital Key employs UWB, near-field communication (NFC), and low-energy Bluetooth to facilitate communication between the phone and the car, allowing features like unlocking and starting the car without removing the phone from one’s pocket.
Samsung had initially announced its partnership with automakers such as BMW, Audi, and Ford over two years ago to integrate UWB technology into digital car keys. BMW has since introduced its digital key for various smartphones, although it uses NFC rather than UWB. Apple, on the other hand, has implemented UWB in the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirTag, leveraging its capabilities for precise location awareness and features like Precision Finding for AirTag.
