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24 Next-Gen Connectivity for Smart Living within a volumetric sphere of communication. The quick 2ns bursts can fit between other packets without colliding. This lack of interference allows very accurate time-of-flight measurements to be performed, resulting in high-precision distance-measurement capabilities. UWB can provide up to 1000 accurate location samples per second for more effective communications, position tracking, and locating, easily 50 times more accurate than GPS. The encompassing standard, IEEE 802.15.4z, incorporates secure ranging and is very immune to spoofed sources. Once synchronized, UWB can measure the time it takes for a signal to travel from transmitter to receiver (time of flight) by multiplying the time by the speed of light. The narrow pulses discriminate against multi-path reflections, and each frame contains a scrambled time code. The 200μs transmit time allows the 1ms round trip measurement, yielding 1000 measurements per second. With this combined reliability, speed, and accuracy, UWB technology can enhance cooperative driving with precise timing for traffic systems, clear pathways for emergency responders, and more safety measures. Interoperability UWB is not limited to automotive safety and autonomous driving technology, offering many uses outside the automotive industry. For example, many pet owners have their veterinarians implant microchips in their pets to provide identification. With UWB's centimeter resolution, future microchips could relay not just identification, but also precise location should the pet go missing. This same application can work with our mobile devices, laptops, and even wearables. However, achieving these types of applications will require UWB to work universally across devices and networks. Such interoperability requires cooperation between standards agencies, civic authorities, device makers, and the cellular infrastructure. The IEEE standard is an excellent place to start, and global consortiums are a good way of passing the baton. One such group, the FiRa Consortium, is dedicated to the "fine ranging" capabilities of modern and future devices. The FiRa Consortium brings together a broad range of companies to devise and promote the interoperability of products and solutions based on UWB technologies. Fixed-Point Data While not every application needs location information, fixed-point devices can also benefit from UWB. Arrays of temperature, geological, weather, volcanic, and other scientific data-gathering equipment can use UWB as a means of communicating. An aircraft flyby can read sensor data in some undersea sensors and measurement devices. Even without a flyby, the strategic location of access points could allow a dynamically reconfigurable network to get its data through, even in changing conditions. Fixed-point devices like door locks can use UWB as a secure near-field means of access and identifying and preparing a house for residents. Already, UWB is integrated into smartphones to unlock homes and automobiles.