LG and Xperi announced development and integration of DTS Connected Radio technology in vehicles sold worldwide with the first implementation due next year from an undisclosed global car brand. DTS Connected Radio delivers a digital audio broadcast and HD Radio FM experience by pairing broadcast programming with internet-protocol-delivered content, they said Wednesday. The system aggregates metadata, such as station content information and on-air radio program, artist and song information directly from broadcasters. It will be the first global system to allow carmakers to create a common radio experience across different analog and digital broadcast systems deployed regionally, said Jeff Jury, general manager of Xperi automotive.

The Association of Global Automakers and Panasonic urged an FCC NPRM on the future of the 5.9 GHz band. Meeting with an aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, the two discussed both cellular vehicle to everything and dedicated short-range communications and “the need for long-term policy that provides certainty for both public and private sector entities seeking to invest in the deployment of V2X technology,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 13-49. They “emphasized the need for a balanced, data-driven approach, that should be addressed through rulemaking” and the importance of interoperability and coexistence. “The parties discussed the extent to which both V2X technologies propose an evolutionary pathway forward that would improve traffic safety dramatically.”

Action is coming on the 5.9 GHz band, FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly promised attendees at a Wi-Fi event Wednesday evening, hosted by the Wi-Fi Alliance and Broadcom. The band is allocated to dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) technology, which automakers have been slow to deploy and the commission since 2013 has been looking at sharing with Wi-Fi (see 1301160063). O’Rielly and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said last month they favor a broad-based Further NPRM looking at the future of the band (see 1902140057). Chairman Ajit Pai has declined to offer a timetable, saying the band raises some tough issues. “I don’t want to give anyone the impression that we’re abandoning 5.9,” O’Rielly said Wednesday. “That is a high priority for me. … We’re going to see something on 5.9 in the very near future.” O’Rielly said the FCC shouldn’t wait. “We can’t let the 75 MHz at 5.9 sit there and stagnate for another 20 years, counting on something that’s probably not coming,” he said. The FCC faces big challenges on unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band, the subject of a recent rulemaking (see 1903180047), O’Rielly warned. He said branding a new generation of technology as Wi-Fi 6 makes sense: “Simplifying that is very helpful to everybody.” Wi-Fi Caucus Chairs Reps. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., stressed the importance of Wi-Fi in brief remarks. McNerney said getting the 6 GHz band reallocated for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed will require a “big lift,” but “that’s what tech lives for, is big lifts.” There are “big benefits” to Wi-Fi, McNerney said. “It’s going to connect people,” he said. “It’s going to make businesses thrive in my district. … It’s going to put students in touch with their educational material.” Latta said if people don’t have broadband and access to Wi-Fi, they’re “way behind … you’re not even in the game.”

Domino's and automotive commerce platform Xevo will enable pizza ordering from connected cars this year. Via Xevo Market, customers will be able to locate a restaurant, call in or tap in a Domino’s order using a vehicle’s touch screen and track it to know when it’s ready, they said. The ordering feature will be loaded on “millions” of cars late this year, they said.

The European Commission's choice of "outdated" Wi-Fi technology (802.11p) for connected vehicles undercuts Europe's 5G action plan for all “major terrestrial transport paths [to] have uninterrupted 5G coverage by 2025,” GSMA Europe said Wednesday. Publication of new cooperative intelligent transport systems rules will be followed by a two-month period during which the European Parliament and Council can oppose enactment, the EC said. As of this year, vehicles, traffic signs and motorways will be equipped with technology to send standardized messages to all nearby traffic participants, it said. The specifications set the minimum legal requirements for interoperability between cooperative systems, allowing all equipped stations to exchange messages with each other securely in an open network. But GSMA said the legislation prioritizes communications in the 5855-5925 MHz band, which fails to account for more recent technological innovation. It urged lawmakers and governments to nix the proposal and encourage deployment of more advanced systems such as cellular to vehicle-to-everything.

Replies are due Tuesday on a waiver request by the 5G Automotive Association to deploy cellular vehicle-to-everything technology (C-V2X) in a 20 MHz channel of the 5.9 GHz band. 5GAA told the FCC it provided incorrect information in a report in support of the waiver, in a filing posted Monday in docket 18-357. “5GAA’s petition for waiver, indicates that [dedicated short range communications] devices used in 5GAA’s testing had employed receive antenna diversity,” the group said: “In fact,” the devices “did not utilize receive antenna diversity. As a result, 5GAA is expanding its testing to collect DSRC data that reflects the use of receive antenna diversity, and plans to file such expanded data in this docket in near term.” The group said “notably, this does not change the C-V2X test results” and “we are confident that this does not change the report’s ultimate conclusion, which is that C-V2X technology substantially outperforms DSRC technology.” The waiver got mixed reviews in initial comments (see 1902110007). Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel said Feb. 14 they support instead a broad NPRM (see 1902140057). In a comment posted Monday, the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association said the FCC should reject the waiver. “To avoid disrupting the DSRC deployments that are based on the exclusive use of the 5.9 GHz band, FCC must conduct rigorous testing, including real-world testing, to validate that C-V2X signals will not interfere with DSRC messages,” the group said.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology approved a yearlong Ford Motor test of cellular vehicle-to-everything technology (C-V2X) in the 5.9 GHz band in California. “The proposed testing would support equipment research and development, field testing, and proof of concept,” Ford said. It's “integrating the C-V2X functionality into the Telematics Control Units (TCU) by using an add-on module that would attach to the TCU.” The automaker plans indoor and outdoor tests. The FCC could consider a broad-based Further NPRM on the 5.9 GHz band, rather than waiver sought by the 5G Automotive Association to use part of the band for C-V2X (see 1902140057). Ford asked for experimental authority in December.

China-based carmaker BYD is using its Analog Devices' Automotive Audio Bus (A2B) to distribute audio and control data and its SHARC digital signal processor for infotainment, said the semiconductor company Monday. Distributing audio and control data with clock and power over a single, unshielded twisted-pair is said to cut cable weight by up to 75 percent, boosting fuel efficiency and cutting system costs.

Five AutoNation USA Stores will participate in a program giving customers an Automatic Labs plug-in adaptor and introductory subscription, allowing them to become connected for access to safety and convenience features, service alerts and recall notices. The participating AutoNation stores are in Houston; Phoenix; Corpus Christi and Katy, both in Texas; and Henderson, Nevada. Customers buying a pre-owned vehicle can opt for the free trial subscription, which includes three years of crash alert and connected maintenance services plus six free months of premium services, including roadside assistance, said the companies. The program also includes integration with smart home devices so customers can open the garage door, adjust thermostats and turn on lights from the car when nearing home, it said. SiriusXM General Manager-Emerging Business Joe Verbrugge said in a statement the program gives AutoNation stores the ability to stay connected to their customers and improve retention after purchase. Though there's no direct SiriusXM tie-in with the Automatic-AutoNation offer, AutoNation customers are offered a free three-month trial subscription when they buy vehicles with SiriusXM factory-installed, a company spokesman emailed us. Also, customers who go to AutoNation locations for service can receive a complimentary two-month trial of SiriusXM if they have a compatible receiver, he said.

LG’s South Korean parent filed to register “webOS Auto” as a U.S. trademark Jan. 7, having established “priority” for the application Nov. 30 in Trinidad and Tobago, Patent and Trademark Office records show. Companies can use trademark law to file for protection in Trinidad and Tobago to keep trade names out of the public eye and use that as the basis for U.S. registration, as long as the application is filed at PTO within six months. LG and information technology services provider Luxoft announced a partnership at IFA to bring webOS smart TV technology to new commercial “verticals,” including automotive. LG and Luxoft demonstrated their first webOS-based car infotainment prototypes at CES last week.