September 28, 2020
V2X Week is Here!
Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed giving away a majority of the 5.9GHz safety spectrum to unlicensed devices and has indicated multiple times that it would act before the end of the year. The Commission has not yet called the vote, but ITS America anticipates it could happen as soon as October. To continue highlighting the life-saving benefits of V2X technologies, we have dubbed this “ITS America V2X Week” and created opportunities for our members and other stakeholders to engage throughout the week.
Two Former Transportation Secretaries on the Importance of V2X
Earlier today, ITS America President & CEO Shailen Bhatt spoke with former secretaries of transportation Ray LaHood and Anthony Foxx about safety, the importance of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technologies, and the 5.9 GHz safety spectrum. If you missed it, the recording will be available on www.itsa.org later this week – check back!
TUESDAY – Qualcomm Hosts C-V2X Virtual Summit 2020, 11 AM to 2 PM EDT
ITS America member Qualcomm will host a summit about paths to broad C-V2X deployment under exploration across the United States. In support of the theme, participants will discuss spectrum needs and debut progress on an initial deployment with VDOT, Audi of America, Qualcomm, VTTI and Commsignia. American Tower will elaborate on new infrastructure business models as part of its involvement in the VDOT initial deployment. Caltrans will point to end-to-end benefits of such a deployment, while an auto industry representative will discuss highlights from the Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership’s year-long field testing of C-V2X, and the CTO of 5GAA will recap global trends. The Executive Director of the National Association of State EMS Officials will talk about the need for C-V2X technology to support emergency responders, and Danlaw will feature its C-V2X commercial solution to support traffic signal preemption. To register, please click HERE.
WEDNESDAY – SOS–Save Our Spectrum — The 5.9 GHz Band and V2X – 10 AM to 11 AM EDT
This session, a part of ITS World Congress ALL-ACCESS, will provide an update to conference attendees on FCC proceedings concerning V2X spectrum. The panel will discuss the current status of the 5.9 GHz band and any complications or concerns regarding use of the band by V2X. This discussion will include representatives of state and local governments and private sector technology and service providers to discuss the impact of any FCC proceedings on their plans for V2X deployment. The panel will also discuss any potential alternatives to the 5.9 GHz Band for V2X and will provide an expected timeline for FCC and other regulatory actions that may impact the availability of spectrum for V2X.
THURSDAY– V2X Video Day
Throughout the day on October 1, ITS America members and V2X stakeholders will share short videos about V2X and why this technology is important to their organizations. These videos will highlight the many aspects of safety provided by these technologies and speak to the importance of preserving the 5.9 GHz spectrum for transportation safety. IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN IN! If you would like to add your voice, just record a cell phone selfie video talking about why V2X is important to you and your organization and share it on Twitter on October 1. If you do so, please let us know and we will be sure re-share it! And to see the videos, please search #SaveTheSafetySpectrum on Twitter on Thursday.
Thank you, as always, for your engagement on this critical safety issue.
