The IEEE 802.15 Task Group 6 (IEEE 802.15.6) is currently developing a communication standard for body-area networks [1] to address these low data rate (LDR) applications. The LDR radio for such applications needs to be low-complexity and yet robust to interference and frequency-selective multipath and also be able to rapidly join or leave a network. The short PHY synchronization time simplifies the task of the medium access control (MAC), which is similar to the ones used in low-power narrowband, but not necessarily robust, radios. FM-UWB is competitive in terms of power consumption and has been proposed as one of the candidate air interfaces for medical body area networks [2]. It is part of the 802.15.6 draft standard [3].

[2] John Farserotu, John Gerrits, Jérôme Rousselot, Gerrit van Veenendaal, Manuel Lobeira, John Long, CSEM FM-UWB Proposal, IEEE P802.15 Working Group for Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs), Task Group TG6 Body Area Networks (BAN), May 2009, Montreal. Doc.:IEEE802.15-09-0276-00-0006, [Online]. Available: https://mentor.ieee.org/802.15/ dcn/09/15-09-0276-00-0006-csem-fm-uwb-proposal.pdf

[3] Arthur Astrin, IEEE 802.15  TG6 Body Area Network Closing Report, 16th meeting of Task Group 6, San Diego, California, 15 July 2010, DCN 617, [Online]. Available: https://mentor.ieee.org/802.15/documents?is_group=0006&is_year=2010