FCC Gets No Clear Direction on Best Course for C-V2X in 5.9 GHz Band

One question for the FCC on the 5.9 GHz band's future is whether to act on a 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) waiver to deploy cellular vehicle-to-everything technology (C-V2X) in the upper 20 MHz of the band or wait for a broader NPRM. Industry officials said that with Chairman Ajit Pai quiet so far, it's tough to predict what the FCC will do. The band is allocated to dedicated short-range communications (DSRC).

The commission has been looking at sharing with Wi-Fi since 2013 (see 1301160063) with a more recent focus on C-V2X. Early comments mostly supported the waiver (see 1901280031). “The overwhelming majority of comments filed urged the FCC to grant the waiver request,” 5GAA said in a Monday news release. Comments were posted in docket 18-357.

Commissioners “have been making it clear for six months or more that they believe that after lying fallow for 20 years, the commission needs to reconsider how the entire 75 MHz can best serve the public interest in both real-time safety signaling and gigabit-fast and affordable Wi-Fi,” said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America. “Wi-Fi has become critical to the wireless ecosystem, while connected car technology is rapidly migrating to general purpose 5G networks. We know DSRC is dying, we just don’t know what spectrum can best enable real-time V2X safety signaling.”

The FCC will have to release another NPRM, said Doug Brake, director-broadband and spectrum policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. “While it is absolutely encouraging to see continued prodding and progress on seeing this band put to good use, it is just such a complicated slice of spectrum, with such a broad and diverse set of interests,” Brake said. “No matter what the FCC does with 5.9, someone is going to be disappointed. Eventually, the sooner the better, the FCC has to take action to allow the market to actually move forward.”

“The 5GAA request has to be viewed in the larger context of 5.9 GHz,” said Richard Bennett, network architect. “The FCC can do this in either an existing inquiry or a new one. The former would be more efficient.”

The Safety Spectrum Coalition, which includes groups promoting DSRC as a way to curb traffic deaths, sought an NPRM looking at “permanent rules for the 5.9 GHz band that could allow for both DSRC and C-V2X services.” Members include AAA, the Association of Global Automakers, Intelligent Transportation Society of America, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and National Safety Council. “Although progress has been made in the development of C-V2X, there may be a need for additional safety testing to validate performance of [basic safety message] communication,” the coalition said in docket 18-357. “Data provided in 5GAA’s Petition is a useful start. Real-world testing, focused specifically on roadway safety, is necessary.”

The Wi-Fi Alliance urged rejection. “The Petition would re-designate the use of spectrum which is the subject of an ongoing proceeding and long-delayed Commission tests on sharing, and its grant would further complicate the Commission’s efforts to comprehensively finalize the future of the band,” the alliance said. “The Petition masquerades as a waiver request when it is really a petition for rulemaking.”

ITS America agreed the FCC should take a broader look at the band rather than approve a waiver. “Preserve availability of the 5.9 GHz band for life-saving vehicle to everything technologies,” recommended President Shailen Bhatt. The group also filed comments. A spokesperson “wouldn’t presume” to comment on what’s next for the FCC.

The agency is in the sixth year of a rulemaking and “is expressly considering options that are directly contradictory to carving out a portion of the band for the exclusive use of yet another command-and-control technology that has not even been adopted by the Department of Transportation,” said the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition. “5GAA is using the procedurally inapt contrivance of ‘waiver’ to circumvent a fresh look at the highest and best use of the entire 5.9 GHz band.” The Open Technology Institute at New America, American Library Association, Benton Foundation, Consumer Federation of America, Public Knowledge and X-Lab signed.

The Wireless ISP Association said the FCC should focus on its ongoing exploration of the band. Granting the petition would “essentially pull the rug out from underneath that proceeding in favor of one focused solely on 5GAA’s technology and use case,” WISPA said. “Substantively, the Petition and the impending petition for rulemaking that 5GAA indicates it will file would mark a return to an outdated spectrum policy that allocated spectrum mandating a single technology or a single use case in contravention to the flexible use policy that is the hallmark of current spectrum policy.”

Qualcomm, a leading advocate of C-V2X, urged waiver approval. “Qualcomm has been working with major vehicle manufacturers and roadway equipment manufacturers to integrate C-V2X technology into production vehicles and roadside units, and all of us working together in this growing ecosystem are eager to deploy this advanced technology in the U.S.,” it said.