The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC), a source for defining how vehicles interact with devices and the world to enhance the consumer experience through standardized, secure, and convenient connectivity solutions, has announced today its CCC Digital Key Certification Program now includes coverage for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) and ultra-wideband (UWB) technologies.
This expansion builds on the existing certification, which addresses the Near-Field Communication (NFC) components of a digital key solution, and will incorporate additional functionalities, such as remote access, passive entry, and passive start.
The inclusion of Bluetooth LE and UWB in the CCC Digital Key Certification Program ensures that digital key solutions developed by members meet the highest standards for interoperability, security and functionality, says Alysia Johnson, President of CCC. By certifying solutions that leverage these three complementary technologies – NFC, Bluetooth LE, and UWB – the CCC (of which Apple is a member) enables automotive manufacturers, device makers, and technology providers to deliver seamless, trusted access and improved user experience.
Johnson says that key features and benefits for the expanded coverage of the CCC Digital Key Certification Program:
- End-to-End Interoperability: Ensures seamless communication between devices and vehicles by supporting NFC implementations for tap-to-lock/unlock and start; Bluetooth® LE implementations for remote keyless entry; and UWB implementations in complement to Bluetooth® LE for secure passive entry and start capabilities.
- Enhanced Security: Evaluates the digital key applet, which resides on a mobile device’s secure element. This ensures that all security-critical processing and secure storage of the digital keys are properly implemented to resist to the highest level of hardware- and software-based attacks, allowing Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers to trust the secure communication between devices and vehicles, protecting consumer data and privacy.
- Cross-Platform Key Sharing: Allows consumers to easily and securely share digital keys across devices from different ecosystems (e.g. iOS or Android), ensuring flexibility and convenience for users, where available.
- Ease of Use: Bluetooth® LE enables communication with vehicles when in proximity, while UWB provides precise location detection of the mobile device for passive entry and start, letting users keep their mobile devices in their pocket for a hands-free experience.
- Standards-Based Certification: Incorporates certification requirements from other leading standards development organizations, including NFC Forum, Bluetooth® Special Interest Group (SIG), and FiRa Consortium, ensuring credibility, compatibility and trust across the industry.
