US carmakers win use of airwaves for advanced safety system

US regulators cleared carmakers to use systems that let vehicles communicate wirelessly with one another, offering a path forward for life-saving technology after years of disputes that saw Detroit lose airwaves to Silicon Valley.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said the technology could now use frequencies that had been reserved for an older system that wasn’t widely deployed. 

“This a big deal,” said Hilary Cain, a vice-president focused on technology at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation trade group that represents carmakers. “The FCC’s move means we’re closer to getting this innovation into more vehicles and in the real world.”

The technology lets vehicles “see around corners, talk to other vehicles and communicate — in real-time — with pedestrians, cyclists, traffic lights and infrastructure,” Cain said in an email.

The FCC redeployed most auto-safety airwaves in 2020, dedicating them instead to wi-fi offered by tech companies, as the carmakers’ safety system was taking too long to roll out. At the time, the agency told carmakers to plan on using the newer safety system in the frequencies left to them. Monday’s order, in the form of a waiver, lets carmakers use most of the remnant airwaves while the FCC moves towards final rules.

Those requesting the waiver included Audi of America, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive, the Utah department of transportation and the Virginia department of transportation, as well as technology companies, the FCC said.

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