FCC Sets Spectrum Channel for Accident Avoidance Devices
Regulation of future uses of the 5.9 GHz band for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) was clarified Wed. by the FCC in an order. Agency actions included designating channel 172 in the band for accident avoidance and mitigation. This will spur efforts by automakers to equip vehicles with the technology, such as systems that detect the presence and speed of vehicles ahead and warn when a collision is likely, sources said.
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The FCC order addresses key auto industry concerns about interference with collision avoidance devices, said Gloria Bergquist, spokesperson for the Alliance of Automobile Mfrs. “Today’s decision is good for automotive safety,” she said: “It acknowledges how much lead time and technology is necessary to get these advanced technologies on the road and it gives us certainty that this channel is going to be available.”
The order designates channel 172 for vehicle-to-vehicle safety communications for accident avoidance and mitigation. Automakers must decide exactly what steps a vehicle takes in reaction, but the order will let one vehicle communicate with another that an accident is likely.
Some public safety communications use the channel, but it’s not crowded, a source said. The Alliance of Automobile Mfrs., ARINC, ITS America and others had asked that a special channel be set aside to guard the function from interference.
“Vehicle-to-vehicle collision avoidance and mitigation applications are exceptionally time-sensitive and should not be conducted on potentially congested channels,” the FCC said. “Although the Commission has long recognized that shared use of spectrum promotes spectrum efficiency, there are cases in which public safety concerns dictate exclusive use of frequencies.”
The FCC also exclusively designated channel 184 for “high-power, longer-distance communications” and made other changes industry sought in 2004 petitions for reconsideration reacting to a 2003 order.
Even with the decision the technology, already in development, may not hit the streets for years, Bergquist said: “I can’t say whether it’s going to be the next 5 years or 10, but certainly safety is a priority. In today’s market safety sells like never before and consumers are very safety savvy.”
The FCC viewed the 5.9 GHz order as addressing technology unlikely to mature for 4-6 years, but still needing clarity, a regulatory source said. “It was a pretty straightforward item,” the source said. “Everyone is in favor of this and there’s not a competing use [for the spectrum].”
“Rolling out new technology in the auto industry requires certainty,” said an attorney. “With every new service and every new application there is a role that has to be played by the Commission in clarifying the rules and eliminating inefficiency.”