Initial comments on the FCC’s 5.9 GHz record refresh public notice are expected to be due July 7 at the FCC, based on a notice slated to be published Tuesday in the Federal Register. The FCC released the notice last week (see 1606010067). Comments in docket 13-49 are due 30 days after publication, replies 15 days later. Disagreements remain about how the band can be shared between Wi-Fi and dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) systems designed to prevent motor vehicle accidents (see 1605260059).

Movimento and Sierra Wireless combined technologies to provide automotive OEMs an integrated solution for vehicle software installation and updates, the companies said Monday. Sierra Wireless’ device-to-cloud technology and Movimento’s over-the-air technology will provide a cloud-based platform to maintain connected cars, said the companies. Drivers want access to the latest features, and the platform will enable car makers to deliver “complex software requirements seamlessly across a vehicle’s entire lifecycle,” said Sierra Wireless Chief Technology Officer Philippe Guillemette. Vehicles have numerous software programs running on their networks of electronic control units (ECUs) that need to be individually managed and maintained, and the platform enables all ECUs to be updated simultaneously over-the-air, the companies said. When an automaker needs to upgrade a vehicle’s systems, it can log into the dashboard over a secure network and select the appropriate update, they said. Movimento’s software update client runs on the Legato Linux embedded application framework available on Sierra Wireless 4G automotive modules, said the companies.

Voxx announced a multiyear contract with Subaru for its remote start technology in all “push to start” Forester models through 2018 and Legacy and Outback models through 2019. The Voxx-range remote start system extends key fob range up to 1,000 feet, which the company said is up to four times the distance of traditional key fob range.

Along with updated comments on Wi-Fi and dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) systems designed to curb auto crashes sharing within the 5.9 GHz band, the FCC is seeking submittal of prototype unlicensed interference-avoidance devices for testing and comments on its proposed plan for evaluating electromagnetic compatibility of unlicensed devices and DSRC, the agency said in a record refresh public notice Wednesday. The PN was expected (see 1605260059). Comments in docket 13-49 will be due 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register, with reply comments due 15 days after that. In a statement, Commissioner Ajit Pai said that after laying dormant for two years, a variety of lawmakers and his fellow commissioners, Jessica Rosenworcel and Michael O'Rielly, "[got] this proceeding moving again." Pai also said DSRC is intended to promote safety via vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure purposes, but the commercial applications and radar technologies that could employ the spectrum didn't exist at allocation: "My hope is that we make a smart decision quickly -- both in this spectrum band and in the lower, 120 MHz of the 5 GHz band -- to allow this spectrum to directly benefit consumers." And in a joint statement, Rosenworcel and O'Rielly said the notice "puts in place a framework to demonstrate that unlicensed use in the 5.9 GHz band is possible without causing harmful interference to incumbent licensees," particularly DSRC. They also said the July 30 deadline for the submission of testing equipment and the commitment to complete testing by Jan. 15 were aimed at providing "much-needed certainty for the unlicensed community and car manufacturers."

Dedicated short range communications is poised for broad deployment after years of development and testing, and the FCC should move with care on the 5.9 GHz band, DSRC advocates said in a meeting with Public Safety Bureau Chief David Simpson and others at the agency. General Motors will deploy DSRC devices based on existing DSRC rules, “including the existing DSRC channelization requirement, in the Model Year 2017 Cadillac CTS,” the advocates said. “Such vehicles will be equipped with FCC-compliant DSRC radios and available for purchase during calendar year 2016 -- well in advance of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s anticipated mandate that all new light duty vehicles include DSRC devices.” DSRC “needs interference-free access to all 75 megahertz of the licensed 5.9 GHz DSRC spectrum,” said a filing in docket 13-49. Representatives of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Association of Global Automakers, Cisco, Denso and Intelligent Transportation Society of America attended the meeting. The FCC is looking at rules that would allow use of the band for Wi-Fi.

The IEEE 802.19TM Wireless Coexistence Working Group established a study group on “Wireless Automotive Coexistence,” IEEE said Tuesday. “The IEEE 802.19 working group has been developing standards for coexistence between wireless standards of unlicensed devices,” said Alaa Mourad, chairman of the Wireless Coexistence study group in a news release. “However, with an uprise in connected cars, we’re seeing the need to develop standards focused on wireless automotive coexistence.” The group will examine the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, interference between IEEE 802.11 devices and interference between 802.11 and 802.15/Bluetooth devices, IEEE said.

AT&T is well positioned on connected cars and spectrum, an executive told investors Monday. Vice Chairman Ralph de la Vega said automakers sell many cars into Mexico and Canada. With the carrier's roaming agreements in Canada and its growing network in Mexico, customers in both nations who buy AT&T-connected vehicles can get service comparable to what they would get in the U.S., he said. AT&T is in its best spectrum position ever, with 40 MHz of fallow spectrum to build on, said de la Vega at a J.P. Morgan conference. He said AT&T sees itself in a strong position going into the FCC incentive auction.

Federal transportation regulators need to define and document government's role and responsibilities to address cyberattacks on vehicles, especially as autonomous and connected-vehicle technologies are deployed, GAO said in a Monday report. It said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investing more in cybersecurity research and is soon expected to release industry guidance to help decide when vulnerabilities should be considered safety defects in justifying recalls. NHTSA also is examining the need for cybersecurity standards and regulations, but such guidance won't be available for another two years at least, GAO said. Until NHTSA develops a plan defining its role, "the agency's response efforts could be slowed as agency staff may not be able to quickly identify the appropriate actions to take," GAO said. The report also said several industry led-efforts are underway to help automakers and parts suppliers to mitigate cybersecurity vulnerabilities, increase threat and vulnerability information sharing among companies and deploy better technologies such as message encryption and authentication.

Various government agencies held a long-expected briefing (see 1510130059) on the 5.9 GHz band March 23, attended by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Association of Global Automakers, Cisco, Denso and other organizations and companies, said a filing posted Friday. The FCC is examining sharing of the 5.9 GHz spectrum between Wi-Fi and dedicated short-range communications service (DSRC) systems aimed at preventing road accidents (see 1602050048). The FCC, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and NTIA were also at the meeting, the filing said. “The Alliance, Global, DENSO, and Cisco reiterated their belief, expressed numerous times in this proceeding, that interference-free sharing between primary DSRC and unlicensed operations in the 5.9 GHz band may be possible, and explained that the four parties continue to work together to develop an industry-led sharing solution,” the filing by the four said. “The four parties also indicated that significant investment by the automotive industry and the Department of Transportation has already been made in reliance on the Commission’s existing 5.9 GHz DSRC rules and the guarantee that all DSRC applications will be protected from interference.” The filing said the FCC clarified it intends to issue a public notice “or similar instrument” that will “refresh the record on the current state of development of 5.9 GHz DSRC technology, invite the submission of detailed unlicensed 5.9 GHz device sharing proposals, and facilitate additional prototype and field testing to ensure appropriate interference-avoidance and spectrum rights allocation in the 5.9 GHz band.” The four offered questions they believe the FCC should ask in a PN, mostly on the technical aspects of sharing. The filing was in docket 13-49.

Harman said it developed a safety system to help eliminate vehicle blind spots that lead to “back over" accidents that kill or injure 15,000 pedestrians a year in the U.S. Increased adoption of bigger vehicles such as SUVs has exacerbated the blind spot issue for consumers, Harman said. The company’s Reverse Pedestrian Detection technology uses computer vision and a fish-eye camera to detect pedestrians behind the vehicle and combines data from ultrasonic sensors for close pedestrian verification, it said. The application also uses the steering wheel angle and speed for calculating probable collision trajectories, it said. The software-based technology, designed to be housed in existing vehicle infotainment systems, doesn’t require additional hardware and is available to automotive OEMs now.