Only 30 MHz left for vehicle communications.

It’s much less than the original 75 MHz, and the ITS industry would surely be more pleased with a wider spectrum.

The FCC also took care of the rivalry between the long-known Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) and the relatively newcomer C-V2X. Vehicles and road infrastructure must use C-V2X in the future.

With the fact that DSRC is (almost) dead in the water, at least in the US, we can’t help but remember what happened before on the mobile operators’ market, when GSM and CDMA competed. Both technologies had their advantages, but lack of interoperability harmed customers’ interests. The introduction of 4G united the cellular market under a single technology, and also set the track for upgrading to 5G. Spectrum may come and go, but industries adapt.

It’s literally the 5G moment of V2X.

Moving forward with C-V2X removes the uncertainty on the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) market, and we believe that it’ll speed up V2X deployments in the US. We’ve prepared for the change, offering dual mode and C-V2X gears since 2019, and we’re ready to help our partners in transitioning to the narrowed band with this technology.

The new US administration is still being formed, but preliminary statements suggest that environmental protection will play an important role for the new Cabinet. It offers a great opportunity for the whole ITS ecosystem to shift to a higher gear. Air pollution can be reduced by increasing the efficiency of transport, and this is one of the goals of road operators and city planners with V2X installations.

As 4G wireless propelled the US economy by spurring investment and creating millions of jobs, so can C-V2X change the trajectory of the transportation business, and offer a more sustainable, environment-friendly way of delivering goods.