The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted in 2020 new rules for the 5.9GHz band (5.850-5.925 GHz) to make new spectrum available for unlicensed uses, such as Wi-Fi, and improve automotive safety. The upper 30 megahertz (5.895-5.925 GHz) was authorized for enhanced automobile safety using Cellular Vehicle-to- Everything (C-V2X) technology. The recent FCC Waiver now authorized a number or carmakers including Audi and Ford, as well as a number of technology companies, including Harman International to use C-V2X technology.
Cellular-vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) includes the peer-to-peer communications protocols that enable enhanced situational awareness between a vehicle and its surroundings to improve safety and manage congestion. American road users, city planners, highway administrators and more can now start implementing solutions for enhanced roadway safety, although the ultimate goal for the automotive industry leads to autonomous vehicles.
"Nearly 43,000 fatalities occurred due to vehicle traffic crashes in the United States last year," says Ram Iyer, Senior Vice President of Connectivity at HARMAN. "The joint waiver approval could not have come soon enough, and together with Samsung, Harman brings a high degree of product maturity, readiness, and scale to address this tragic and preventable roadway epidemic."
"The FCC’s decision marks a significant step forward, but we will continue to advocate for wide-scale deployment of C-V2X as industry stakeholders join forces to build a smarter, safer, and more sustainable transportation future," says Tom Mooney, Head of Government Affairs at Harman. "Now the real work begins of ensuring these lifesaving technologies get on U.S. roadways as soon as possible. The good news is, we’re already engaged across the transportation ecosystem to make that happen."
In its decision, the FCC notes that "permitting C-V2X technologies to deploy now, prior to adoption of final C-V2X rules, will serve the public interest by advancing vehicular safety and promoting interoperability."
Harman and Samsung have confirmed its shared commitment to safety and protecting vulnerable road users through its C-V2X solutions that include Harman Savari MECWAVE, an edge computing platform for virtualized infrastructure. By functioning on the edge with ultra-low latency, MECWAVE accelerates the deployment of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, including safety-critical applications like hazard alerts to protect vulnerable road users, along with high-throughput connectivity experiences like interactive applications and video streaming.
MECWAVE is complemented by two additional Harman Savari solutions, including the Savari StreetWAVE roadside unit, leveraging wireless technologies such as 5G or CBRS for backhaul and C-V2X technologies to enable a communication framework between infrastructure and vehicles; and Savari MobiWAVE wireless vehicular on-board unit.
www.harman.com
