In a welcome step for the automotive industry – and the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) – the US Federal Communications Commission has adopted 5.9GHz band rules, allowing cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-2VX) equipment to support road safety communication technologies.
The dedicated spectrum will support C-V2X direct communications between vehicles and roadway infrastructure, cyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. It brings to the finish a process initiated by 5GAA’s first petition for a waiver to the FCC in November 2018, requesting that C-V2X direct communications be allowed to operate at 5.9GHz.
“FCC’s decision will enhance roadway, cyclist and pedestrian safety by enabling highly reliable and low-latency C-V2X communications,” said John Kwant, Executive Director, Americas, 5GAA. “Now, for the first time in the United States, C-V2X can operate freely in the 5.9GHz dedicated transportation safety spectrum in tandem with network connectivity to provide unparalleled safety alerts for greatly enhanced vehicle efficiency and awareness of roadway threats near or far, seen and unseen.”
The C-V2X ecosystem has gained new momentum with the FCC decision providing regulatory certainty to willing deployers and fuelling the upcoming US DOT National V2X Deployment Plan, which 5GAA expects to set a clear vision and milestones to achieve the vision zero goal.
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