Skip to main content

ITS America & AASHTO: 5.9 GHz legal action

Two respected transportation bodies launch appeal against FCC's decision on 5.9 GHz band
By Adam Hill June 7, 2021 Read time: 2 mins
ITS America and AASHTO are concerned about safety of V2X tech following FCC ruling (© Jae Young Ju | Dreamstime.com)

ITS America and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) have filed an appeal of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s November 2020 order regarding unlicenced devices in the 5.9 GHz spectrum band.

ITS America and AASHTO say they are taking legal action to ensure Vehicle to Everything (V2X) technologies "can continue to safely operate throughout the 5.9 GHz band". 

The lawsuit, filed in the DC Circuit Court, seeks to reverse the FCC’s reallocation of 60% of the 5.9 GHz band to unlicenced, non-transportation uses, and preserve the full 75 MHz for transportation communications. 

The FCC's decision has already been criticised by ITS America as 'reckless' as well as 'shortsighted and detrimental'.

“Safety has always been our top priority,” said Shailen Bhatt, president & CEO of ITS America. 

“We are taking this action because V2X technologies continue to be our best available tool to significantly reduce crashes and save lives on American roadways.” 

“Keeping people safe is the top priority for every state DoT,” said Jim Tymon, AASHTO executive director.

“We believe the FCC ruling has undermined state DOTs’ ability to utilise the 5.9GHz safety frequency as it was intended to be used.” 

You can see the 5.9 GHz Notice of Appeal and 5.9 GHz Petition for Review here.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Iteris wins LA roadways contract 
    January 5, 2022
    Upgrades will take place in Santa Monica, Hollywood and Echo Park 
  • Uber loses London court battle
    March 6, 2017
    Taxi app Uber has lost a court battle to stop Transport for London (TfL) from imposing strict new English reading and writing standards on private hire drivers, according to Reuters. The company took legal action in August after TfL said that drivers should have to prove their ability to communicate in English, including to a standard of reading and writing which Uber said was too high. On Friday, a High Court judge rejected Uber's claim. "TfL are entitled to require private hire drivers to demonstra
  • No compromise on workzone safety
    January 14, 2022
    The National Work Zone Memorial is a sobering reminder of the dangers of working on US highways. More accurate and timely information can help reduce risks, explains One.network’s Simon Topp
  • European associations and congress news
    August 19, 2015
    A preliminary speaker line-up and a number of live demonstrations have been announced for the 2015 ITS World Congress. The demonstrations will include Automatic Braking, a plug in ‘connected vehicle’ Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control at Intersections, Remote Parking and Driver Monitoring System for Automated Driving and Bicycle Tracking. As part of the Automatic Emergency Braking demonstration the driver’s performance will be analysed, along with the behaviour of the other road users. Drivers will receiv