ITS America, AASHTO Lobby Pai, Rosenworcel to Keep 5.9 GHz for V2X

Groups representing automakers and state highway officials lobbied FCC members to keep the entire 75 MHz of 5.85-5.925 GHz for vehicle-to-everything technology for now, and supporting deployment of dedicated short range communications (DSRC) and cellular vehicle to everything (C-V2X). A draft rulemaking set for commissioners' vote Thursday proposes keeping the upper 30 MHz of the 5.9 GHz band for intelligent transportation systems and vehicle safety communications, repurposing the lower 45 MHz for unlicensed like Wi-Fi (see 1911200055). Intelligent Transportation Society of America and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials have "concerns about the paucity of data regarding the ability of unlicensed devices, DSRC and C-V2X to share the 5.9 GHz Band in the manner proposed," said postings (here and here) Monday in docket 19-138. "Withhold [the] NPRM until test results regarding the potential for harmful interference throughout the band are available," they asked. ITS America CEO Shailen Bhatt and AASHTO Deputy Director Brandye Hendrickson were among attendees at meetings including FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. The groups "would support sharing of the band between licensed and unlicensed services provided that testing is completed and demonstrates that unlicensed devices will not cause harmful interference to licensed services," emailed ITS America lawyer Robert Kelly of Patton Boggs, who wrote the filings. Others back the NPRM, including NCTA, with a filing also posted Monday. The agency declined to comment.