Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission voted to approve a public notice that seeks comment on testing spectrum sharing on the 5.9GHz band. These spectrum sharing tests would be set up between the auto industry’s vehicle-to-vehicle communications (“Dedicated Short Range Communications,” or DSRC) and Wi-Fi. Public Knowledge joins others in asking the FCC to allow devices to share this 75 MHz of much-needed spectrum on a non-interfering basis.
The following can be attributed to Harold Feld, Senior Vice President at Public Knowledge:
“For the last four years, the auto industry — with the help of the Department of Transportation — has fought to keep the brakes on addressing our Wi-Fi spectrum crisis. Finally, the FCC has jumpstarted this proceeding and demanded that the auto industry and DoT stop stalling and submit their claims about life and safety to an open, scientific testing process they cannot bias or suppress.
“Unfortunately, as Public Knowledge has investigated the planned deployment of DSRC technology over the last few months, it has become clear to us that installation of DSRC technology in cars would make consumers less safe. In particular, because car makers plan to use this “life and safety” spectrum for mobile payments and other for-profit uses, DSRC will create new opportunities for cyberhackers and identity thieves.
“In the next few weeks, Public Knowledge will ask the FCC to open a new proceeding on DSRC to address these issues, regardless of the decision the FCC makes on the feasibility of opening portions of the DSRC band for spectrum sharing.”
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