NFC, BLE and UWB: The Future of Smart Building Access

Comparison

Phones and wearables can open doors over three short-range radios: NFC, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra-wideband (UWB). Each gives a different user experience and needs different hardware. The Aliro 1.0 standard uses all three. This guide compares them for offices, campuses, residential towers and hotels.

Illustration of a two-door smart-lock test station where a person presents a phone to a reader — Illustration: a two-door test station of the kind used for a demo or pilot. Concept image, not a specific product.

Last reviewed 19 October 2026. Published by Novatelia. Labels used on this page: Documented means shown in a CSA certification record or stated in an official manufacturer, platform or regulator document. Announced means officially announced as future or roadmap work. Not documented means no public source was found, so it must be confirmed with the manufacturer.

The three radios at a glance

Access-control use of each radio (CSA, Silicon Labs, Samsung Research)
	NFC	Bluetooth LE	UWB (with Bluetooth LE)
User action	Tap the device on the reader	User-initiated, from a distance	Hands-free as the user approaches
Role in Aliro	Tap-to-access; Silicon Labs notes it is required for certification	Longer-range, user-initiated access; discovery and set-up signalling	Secure distance measurement for hands-free entry
Relay-attack resistance	Needs a physical tap	Depends on the implementation	CSA says UWB is the only Aliro option with secured, centimetre-level ranging
Wallet support in the sources reviewed	Tap with Apple home key and Samsung Digital Home Key (shown with the Nuki keypad)	Not stated per wallet	Samsung on selected devices from April 2026; Apple announced for an LG lock (US and Canada)
Planning fit (guidance)	Every mobile-access door	Gates and car parks	Premium hands-free doors

Illustration of a hotel guest holding a smartphone to the lock of a guest-room door — Illustration: a guest opening a room door with a phone. Concept image, not a Novatelia project.

NFC: the baseline

NFC is the most widely supported option and the simplest for users to understand: tap and go. Silicon Labs notes that NFC is mandatory for Aliro certification and that, on supported phones, it can work even when the battery is depleted. Nuki, for example, documents a power reserve for Apple wallet keys in Express Mode and for selected Samsung devices when used with its keypad.

Bluetooth LE: convenience at range

BLE lets a user open a door from a few metres away, for example a car-park barrier. In Aliro it supports user-initiated long-range access and the set-up signalling for UWB. Some commercial lock hardware already accepts BLE credentials alongside cards; Last Lock, for example, lists Bluetooth LE credential support for its Core lock.

UWB: hands-free and precise

UWB measures distance precisely and securely, so a door can open when an authorized phone approaches, and not when it is merely nearby. CSA’s September 2026 position paper notes that practically all UWB devices use Channel 9 (about 7.7 to 8.3 GHz) and warns that studies under WRC-27 Agenda Item 1.7 could identify that range for high-power mobile services, which would degrade UWB. Treat UWB as an enhancement on top of an NFC baseline.

Product examples and what they document

Nuki Keypad 2 NFC: CSA states it implements Aliro via NFC (CSA26003ALR80003-NF). Bluetooth LE or UWB Aliro support is not documented.
Last Lock Core: hardware for 125 kHz, NFC, Bluetooth LE and UWB credentials, with an FCC UWB grant. Which Aliro transports its CSA certificate (CSA26006ALR80006-NF) covers is not documented.

Novatelia is evaluating these products and is in discussion with the manufacturers. It is not a partner or authorized reseller of either.

How to choose for your building

Make NFC the baseline for every mobile-access door.
Add Bluetooth LE where users need range, such as gates and car parks.
Add UWB for premium hands-free doors, only where the lock, the wallet and the phones all support it.
Plan the building network and power for readers and hubs from the start. See smart building infrastructure.
Keep a card or PIN fallback for visitors and unsupported phones.

In Oman, confirm the type-approval route for each radio with the TRA before importing equipment. The TRA regulation on telecommunications device approval (Decision 1152/2/19/2024-12) is the starting point.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between NFC, BLE and UWB for door access?

NFC needs a tap on the reader, BLE works from a distance when the user triggers it, and UWB measures distance precisely so a door can open hands-free as an authorized user approaches.

Which is the most secure option?

All three carry the same Aliro public-key cryptography. CSA states that UWB is the only Aliro option with secured, centimetre-level ranging and relay-attack resistance. NFC requires the phone to be tapped on the reader.

Do all phones support UWB door access?

No. Samsung documents UWB hands-free entry on selected devices only, Apple has announced it for one lock in the US and Canada, and support varies by brand and region, so NFC remains the baseline.

Can one reader support NFC, BLE and UWB?

Yes. Aliro defines NFC, NFC with Bluetooth LE, and NFC with Bluetooth LE and UWB configurations. The CSA record and the manufacturer’s documentation show which ones a product implements.

Is Novatelia an authorized partner of the manufacturers named here?

No. Novatelia is evaluating products and is in discussion with manufacturers, but is not a partner or authorized reseller.

Discuss an Aliro or mobile-access requirement

Tell us about the property, the doors, the systems already in place and the timeline. Novatelia will reply with an engineering scope that separates what is verified from what still needs confirmation. No price is published on this page.

Request an Aliro readiness review Contact the Muscat team

Sources

Public sources checked on 19 October 2026. Product and wallet support changes often, so confirm each item with the manufacturer before a commitment.