WiFi to boost 5G airwaves as automakers lose spectrum of choice

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is set to vote Wednesday to allow wireless devices to use airwaves assigned 21 years ago for a failed vehicle security system, dismissing efforts by automakers to conserve frequencies.

The change, slated for an FCC vote in Washington, follows years of rearguard lobbying by automakers such as Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. to retain their exclusive hold over the wealthy gang. wave awarded to them in 1999.

Since then, a new wireless era has arrived, with an increasing demand for frequencies from mobile phones and other devices that connect via Wi-Fi. In response, the FCC decided to open the airwaves to new uses. . Those involved in Wednesday’s vote are adapted to new 5G technologies that promise factories and homes connected via super-fast links. The FCC would allow billions of Wi-Fi devices to use frequencies once intended for use by Cadillac vans and sedans tied to on-road gadgets.

“Americans are increasingly relying on Wi-Fi for everything from their jobs to access to health care and education,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a blog post. October 27. Allowing more uses of the swath assigned to vehicles can help boost fast internet connections “in homes, schools, small businesses, and healthcare facilities,” Pai said.

Automakers have tried to avoid the loss of spectrum by proposing to enable “talking cars” more quickly with the installation of at least five million so-called “vehicle-all-everything” radios on vehicles and road infrastructure over the next five years.

The FCC’s move “would jeopardize road safety and America’s leadership in automotive safety technology,” said John Bozzella, chairman of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a business group including members such as BMW AG, Ford, GM and Toyota Motor Corp.

Other countries are adding waves for connected vehicle technologies, and “the United States is the only one looking to reduce the spectrum available for this new generation of road safety advancements,” Bozzella said in an e- mail.

The reallocation of airwaves represents a victory for cable providers such as Comcast Corp. who wish to use the frequencies to connect to customers’ mobile devices. They promise gigabit speeds or super fast connections.

The FCC’s proposed action “is an important step” towards “improving and expanding broadband service,” NCTA, a Washington-based business group for cable companies, said in a Nov. 10 filing. “This will allow providers to quickly deliver gigabit Wi-Fi speeds to consumers and relieve Wi-Fi congestion.”

The frequencies could accommodate rapid communications, including machine-to-machine links, and smart city applications such as smart cameras, traffic monitoring and security sensors, NCTA said in a filing.

U.S. households are increasingly using Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet, and demand is increasing, the FCC said in its order prepared for Wednesday’s vote.

The coronavirus pandemic has increased reliance on Wi-Fi as more households turn to distance learning, telecommuting and social media, the agency said. Companies reporting an increase in cases of mobile devices using Wi-Fi over traditional airwaves include AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., according to the FCC order.

Companies supporting the FCC plan include Comcast, Broadcom Inc. and Facebook Inc., the agency said. Facebook lobbied the agency to ensure that users could access frequencies both indoors and outdoors.

FCC vs. DOT

AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile Inc., in filings, told the FCC that it should retain all of the airwave swath for auto safety use.

Pai brushed aside objections from Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who said the airwave reallocation could slow ongoing efforts to build wireless safety systems that could help prevent vehicle crashes.

The FCC “ignored or dismissed” the Transportation Department’s comments, Chao said in an Oct. 15 letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a branch of the Commerce Department that arbitrates federal uses of the airwaves.

The FCC’s proposal calls for devoting most of the auto-security waves to broadband uses, including Wi-Fi for routers. The rest of the swath goes to new cellular connected vehicle technology. The agency decided not to keep part of the legacy security system. This system “has barely been deployed, which means that this spectrum has been largely unused,” the FCC said in its proposed order.

Written by Todd Shields and Keith Laing.