NearLink, a new competitor in the Digital Car Keys and Beyond
A New Wireless Standard competing with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and UWB in Precision, Security, and Connectivity
In addition to UWB and Bluetooth, a new wireless standard, NearLink, is set to compete in the digital car key field. This short-range wireless connectivity technology made its debut on the Huawei Mate 60 Pro in September 2023 and has been featured in products like the FreeBuds Pro 3, M-Pencil 3rd gen, MatePad 13.2, and Pura 70 series, released from late 2023 to April 2024.
NearLink, also known as SparkLink, is emerging as a robust alternative to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and UWB for various applications in the Chinese market, driven by Huawei's initiative. It operates in two modes: SparkLink Basic (SLB), designed for high-speed, low-latency industrial and automotive uses, and SparkLink Low Energy (SLE), aimed at consumer electronics. SLE is similar to Bluetooth but offers lower power consumption and transmission distance, making it attractive to manufacturers of chips, modules, and devices.
Similar to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, NearLink operates between the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, utilizing wide bandwidth channels up to 160/320 MHz.
In the digital car key use case, NearLink offers ranging precision of about 20 cm, with robust security through Time of Flight (TOF) technology.
On March 30, 2024, at the International NearLink Alliance Industry Summit in Shenzhen, the International NearLink Wireless Short-Range Communication Alliance and the Smart Vehicle Alliance jointly announced the NearLink Digital Car Key Standard. This introduction marks a significant breakthrough in automotive digital keys, following NFC, Bluetooth, and UWB digital car keys.
The new standard represents a pivotal advancement, poised to compete with other short-range wireless standards across industries and use cases in China, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and UWB. It offers an enhanced user experience with its precision, security, and connectivity.
Sources:
ICCE Nearlink support announcement (Chinese only)
Nearlink introduction and use cases (english)