IEEE 802.15.6-2026

This standard defines short-range, wireless communication in the vicinity of, or inside, an environment such as a human body or a vehicle body or both, using the ultra-wideband (UWB) and narrow-band physical layer (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) to support enhanced dependability in human body area networks (HBAN) in the industrial scientific medical (ISM) bands and regional regulation for medical devices. The standard supports quality of service (QoS) and data rates up to 50 Mb/s and incorporates support for vehicle body area networks (VBAN). The standard specifies the coexistence of multiple PANs, including interference in the network among BANs and inter-PAN interference, simple MAC protocol, sensing, and sensing and control feedback loop delay.

To provide an international standard for short-range, low power consumption, and highly reliable wireless communication for use in proximity to, or inside, a human body and a vehicle body. Data rates satisfy a set of entertainment and healthcare services in various population segments.

Revision Standard - Active. Short-range, wireless communications in the vicinity of, or inside, a human body or vehicle body (but not limited to humans and vehicle) are specified in this standard. It uses existing industrial scientific medical (ISM) bands as well as frequency bands approved by national medical and/or regulatory authorities. Support for quality of service (QoS), extremely low power, and data rates up to 50 Mbps is required while simultaneously complying with strict non-interference guidelines where multiple BANs are coexisting. This standard considers effects on portable antennas due to the presence of a person (varying with male, female, skinny, heavy, etc.), radiation pattern shaping to reduce the specific absorption rate (SAR) into the body, and changes in characteristics as a result of the user motions.