DSRC in the US Loses Its Spectrum

February 1, 2021 – The Federal Communications Commission recently answered a question that impacts US-based traffic, first response, and transit agencies: Which of the proposed communications methods will be adopted to serve vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, DSRC or C-V2X?

In their unanimous November 18th ruling, the FCC designated C-V2X (Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything) as the technology standard for developing safety-related transportation and vehicular communications. Existing DSRC communications systems will be required to cease operations in 12 months as its spectrum will be split between extended Wi-Fi and C-V2X.

In his statement, former FCC chairman Ajit Pai said, “By moving from DSRC to C-V2X, we are shifting from a failed technology of the past to a promising technology of the future… Moreover, it is important to remember that spectrum other than the 5.9 GHz band can be used—in fact is used—for automotive safety technology.”

He added “And other services, such as traffic light signal preemption, are readily available in other bands such as the 900 MHz band.”

Because the EMTRAC system has no dependence on DSRC, the FCC decision has no bearing on the EMTRAC system. Current or future EMTRAC customers are not affected by the impending elimination of DSRC spectrum.

The EMTRAC development team understands the power of C-V2X because we employ it in a variety of fashions on behalf of many of the traffic, transit, and first-response agencies we serve. And we continue to meet the evolving C-V2X standards so our customers’ systems remain on the cutting edge of expanding LTE technology.

 

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