Boeing CTO Presses for FCC Action on Rules Changes for Drones

Boeing Chief Technology Officer Greg Hyslop met with top staff from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on spectrum for unmanned aerial vehicles and the future of wireless, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. Hyslop urged the FCC to launch rulemaking proceedings on the adoption of technical and operational rules on the 5030-5091 MHz band for UAVs and an exception in Part 18 of the rules “for the certification of RF-emitting vehicle components consistent with the same exception that has long existed in Section 15.103,” Boeing said. Hyslop and others from Boeing “highlighted the need for additional spectrum available for unlicensed use inside large aircraft and to support wireless systems used in industrial settings for such purposes as automation, worker safety, operational coordination, shipping and receiving, and security, in addition to ... laptops and tablets,” the filing said. “The increases in efficiency made possible through these improvements in communications and control has dramatically increased the productivity of American factories and is driving still greater adoption of networked manufacturing using unlicensed frequencies.” In comments submitted Friday, Boeing also urged the opening of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use. “There is a substantial need for additional spectrum available for unlicensed use, particularly in frequency bands below 24 GHz,” the company said.