Hey community,
Choosing between UWB and BLE isn’t about raw specs—it’s a budget and use-case decision. Picking the wrong tech at the pilot phase can add 25–30% in retrofit costs down the line.
Here is the quick breakdown for healthcare environments:
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UWB (10–30 cm accuracy): Best for real-time asset tracking of high-value gear (infusion pumps, ventilators). Sub-meter precision cuts equipment search times by up to 40%. Higher upfront cost ($150–$400/anchor + cabling), but pays for itself in asset recovery and utilization.
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BLE (1–3 m accuracy): Best for campus-wide patient wayfinding and zone tracking. Costs 5–10x less upfront ($15–$50/beacon), installs with simple adhesive mounts, and works natively on every visitor’s smartphone.
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The Hybrid Route: For facilities over 300,000 sq ft, combining both is becoming standard—UWB in high-priority clinical zones (ORs, ICUs) and BLE for broad corridors and patient areas.
Pro-tip on lock-in: Keep your software layer hardware-agnostic. Decoupling your platform from specific tags/anchors means you can run BLE and UWB side-by-side without rebuilding integrations later.
Learn more: Indoor Positioning Technologies: UWB vs. BLE for Hospitals