The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) announced Thursday it applauds vehicle manufacturers for their pledge to install 5 million radios for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications over the next five years.
According to a letter from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Ajit Pai, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, the AAI pledged to use the 5.9Ghz safety spectrum band in the U.S. to deliver safer, more economical and more environmentally conscious automobiles.
“Vehicle-to-everything (“V2X”) communication technologies promise to deliver significant safety and societal benefits to the American public, including reducing automotive crashes and fatalities and producing economic, environmental, and transportation efficiencies,” AAI said in its April 23 letter. “Recognizing the opportunity for these benefits, automotive manufacturers have already deployed or announced deployments utilizing the 5.9 GHz Safety Spectrum band in the [U.S.] and around the world. These commitments and efforts represent a clear desire and intent by the automotive industry to use the spectrum and highlight the progress that has been made towards the widespread deployment of V2X. In fact, the companies with deployed or announced deployments account for over 60% of the automotive market share in the United States. It is noteworthy that this activity has occurred despite uncertainty from regulators about future use of the 5.9 GHz band.”
MEMA said manufacturers having access to that 5.9 GHz band is paramount for transportation safety and that its members, automotive suppliers, and vendors, need assurances the federal government will dedicate that band to automotive manufacturers.
“Suppliers are critical in the ongoing development and implementation of V2X technologies and are poised to meet the production needs of their customers to support this commitment. The promise to deploy five million radios in five years ensures that the network effects necessary to maximize the safety benefits of V2X will be achieved,” MEMA said in its statement. “The build-out commitment is a leap forward in realizing the joint vision of the U.S. DOT and FCC for V2X. Moreover, it will significantly advance U.S. global leadership in connected and autonomous vehicles.”