Skip to main content

ITS America responds to FCC NPRM for spectrum sharing

Following the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking to open up additional spectrum for unlicenced wi-fi devices within the 5.9 GHz band which serves as the platform for connected vehicle technology, Scott Belcher, President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), issued the following statement today: “ITS America supports the need to explore spectrum sharing in the 5 GHz band and appreciates the chairman’s commitment to a pr
February 21, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Following the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking to open up additional spectrum for unlicenced wi-fi devices within the 5.9 GHz band which serves as the platform for connected vehicle technology, Scott Belcher, President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (560 ITS America), issued the following statement today:

“ITS America supports the need to explore spectrum sharing in the 5 GHz band and appreciates the chairman’s commitment to a process of consultation with the stakeholder community that will protect the integrity of connected vehicle technology. We also recognize the desire of the Commission to move forward expeditiously, while cautioning against putting near-term life-saving innovations like connected vehicle technology at risk in the pursuit of future wi-fi applications.”

ITS America was recently joined by other transportation stakeholders in raising concerns about the Commission’s 5.9 GHz proposal.  The letter, which is online here, is signed by groups ranging from 4939 AAA, the 2094 Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the 4946 Association of Global Automakers, 4944 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, American Public Transportation Association, and Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to numerous private companies and state and local DOT officials from Michigan, California, Florida, Texas, New York, Arizona and Washington State.

“We look forward to working with the Commission, the NTIA, US DOT, and other government and non-government stakeholders to evaluate whether and how unlicensed devices could operate safely in the band without interfering with new vehicle crash avoidance systems which depend on secure, reliable, real-time communication between vehicles.”

Related Content

  • SwRI and USDOT operate connected vehicle affiliated test bed
    December 9, 2013
    In the US, the Texas-based Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is operating a connected vehicle affiliated test bed in cooperation with the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration. The DOT test bed project facilitates information exchange as well as access to tools and resources across other test bed facilities to support and encourage consistent future deployment of connected vehicle technologies. The project aims to advance the technology for full deplo
  • After two decades of research, ITS is getting into its stride
    June 4, 2015
    Colin Sowman gets the global view on how ITS has shaped the way we travel today and what will shape the way we travel tomorrow. Over the past two decades the scope and spread of intelligent transport systems has grown and diversified to encompass all modes of travel while at the same time integrating and consolidating. Two decades ago the idea of detecting cyclists or pedestrians may have been considered impossible and why would you want to do that anyway? Today cyclists can account for a significant propor
  • Preparing for connected vehicle technology challenge
    December 14, 2012
    A decision on mandating connected vehicle technology is expected in 2013, when associated political issues such as privacy are likely to come to the fore. Pete Goldin investigates industry’s preparations for the challenge. Once in a while new technology comes along with the power to revolutionise the way we live our lives. Connected vehicle technology could be such a game changer. If mandated in the United States, it could quickly become the status quo for transportation in the US, and such a disruptive cha
  • Taking the long term view to toll safety, adopting new technology
    July 17, 2012
    OmniAir's Tim McGuckin takes a look at what happens when a tolling authority makes safety its principal operating criterion. The bottom - line effects, he says, are not as onerous as one might think. Replacing an existing 915MHz-based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system with a new 915MHz system for toll collection is - from a technology standpoint - comparable to trading in your 1999 high-mileage Buick for another 1999 Buick with '0' on the odometer.