Safety Should Come First in 5.9 GHz Band, NPSTC Says
The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council said the FCC should err on the side of safety in the fight over sharing the 5.9 GHz band between Wi-Fi and proponents of dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) systems designed to curb vehicular accidents…
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(see 1607080037). In reply comments, NPSTC supported the auto industry. It's an umbrella group that represents 16 public safety organizations. Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) operations already are allocated 580 MHz of spectrum at 5 GHz outside the DSRC band, NPSTC said. “In contrast, the 5.850-5.925 GHz band under consideration for sharing is the only spectrum allocated for DSRC operations.” There are use cases where public safety could make use of the band, the filing said. Public safety agencies could transmit a warning message to motorists to detour around a major accident, NPSTC said. “A public safety vehicle such as a fire truck, ambulance or police car travelling on an interstate or major highway to an incident could warn motorists in its path that it is approaching.” Or an emergency vehicle could use the band to alert other first-responder vehicles, such as an alert sent between two fire trucks approaching the same intersection from different directions. “DSRC technology has tremendous potential to enhance safety for the motoring public, including that of firefighters, law enforcement officials and emergency medical personnel heading to an incident to help save a life,” NPSTC said. “This potential can be realized only if the DSRC spectrum is not subjected to interference by unlicensed operations.” Replies were due Friday in docket 13-49.