The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unanimously adopted final rules for cellular-vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology in a second report and order late last month. 

The C-V2X technology provides direct communication between vehicles, roadside infrastructure and other road users such as cyclists, pedestrians and road works, according to an FCC press release. The communication can help facilitate non-line-of-sight awareness, along with notices regarding changing driving conditions and automated driving. 

“The FCC’s efforts to evolve the 5.9 GHz band are a win-win. It drives innovation in our wireless and transportation economies and can help keep us safe on our roadways when we walk, ride, and drive,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, in the release. “I thank the FCC staff as well as federal and state partners for their dedication to this game-changing spectrum project.”

According to the release, the new rules will accelerate the automotive industry and state and federal government plans for transition from “dated” technology to the C-V2X in the 5.9 GHz spectrum band dedicated to Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). 

The rules provide flexibility for the auto industry to use three 10-megahertz channels either separately or in combination as a 20-megahertz channel or as a single 30-megahertz channel, the release said. 

A July 5 letter submitted to the FCC by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators) following the FCC’s first report and order states the finalization of technical rules for C-V2X operation in the upper 5.9 GHz band remains of “paramount importance” to the automotive industry to improve transportation and vehicular-safety related applications. Auto Innovators represents nearly all automakers as well as automotive suppliers, manufacturers, and technology companies.

JDSupra reports that the second report and order, approved Nov. 21 by the FCC, finalizes the transition started in the first report and order. 

“The second report and order additionally mandates a three-tier message priority hierarchy for ITS communications, beginning with safety-of-life communications as [the] highest priority, then public safety communications, and then finally non-priority communications,” JD Supra says. “On this point, the Commission does not find a reason to define the distinction between ‘commercial’ and ‘non-commercial’ communications.”

The FCC also specifies the technical requirements for C-V3X operations in the second report and order, JDSupra says. This includes codifying parameters for power limits, antenna heights, and out-of-band emission limits for roadside units (RSU) and on-board units (OBU).

The second report and order also provide a two-year window to phase out dedicated short-range communication (DRSC) technology starting from the date of the publication in the Federal Registry. It will go into effect 60 days after publication. 

JDSupra says the FCC will only issue new licenses or renew licenses for DSRC up to the end of the phase-out period.

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