Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) abandoned public safety by voting to give away a majority of the 5.9 GHz safety spectrum that currently allows life-saving Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technologies to work without interference.

ITS America is but one of dozens of transportation safety organizations that have been sounding the alarm about the implications of this action – from the U.S. Department of Transportation, to all state departments of transportation and so many other organizations dedicated to keeping people safe on U.S. roads. In a time in which we are rightly focused on following science and data, it is inexplicable that the FCC is willfully disregarding the advice of experts.

Chairman Pai’s statement is incorrect – it is corporate interests that are cheering the reallocation of the safety spectrum away from the public interests. The most vocal opponents of this action are the U.S. Department of Transportation, every single state department of transportation, and myriad public safety organizations.

Today’s move will, in effect, likely render the entire band useless for safety. We are evaluating all possible options to preserve public safety and significantly reduce the tragic deaths of nearly 37,000 people who die on our roadways every year.

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About ITS America
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America advances the research and deployment of intelligent transportation technologies to save lives, improve mobility, promote sustainability, and increase efficiency and productivity. Our vision is a better future transformed by intelligent mobility: safer, greener, smarter. For more information, please visit www.itsa.org