Broad opposition warns NextNav’s proposal will raise costs for consumers and jeopardize lifesaving public safety services
Washington—Today, the American Trucking Associations joined a broad coalition of American industries in launching the SpecTech Alliance to protect an array of consumer, industrial, and governmental services currently under threat from wide scale interference.
The Alliance formed in opposition to NextNav, Inc.'s petition to upend the Lower 900 MHz Band (902–928 MHz) and to protect billions of dollars in investment. The newly formed alliance—comprised of leading organizations in the trucking and logistics, retail, airlines, aerospace, security, consumer electronics, critical infrastructure, and technology sectors—warns that NextNav's proposal would burden American consumers and businesses with billions of dollars in unnecessary costs, disrupt critical operations, impact safety, and threaten a multitude of devices and technologies that millions of Americans rely on every day.
“Creating a resilient, secure alternative to GPS is the right objective, but NextNav’s proposal takes the wrong approach,” said ATA Chief Advocacy & Public Affairs Officer Henry Hanscom. “Motor carriers have invested heavily in communications networks, safety systems, tracking, and other technologies that depend on reliable access to the 900 MHz Band. Squeezing out these established devices would create operational disruptions, undermine proven safety measures, and increase costs throughout the supply chain. The FCC should demand that NextNav go back to the drawing board to find a solution that does not come at the expense of existing users.”
NextNav has petitioned the FCC to fundamentally alter the 900 MHz band to support its Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) GPS alternative solution. Ultimately, this change would push out incumbent users sharing the band and cause harmful interference to many critical systems, such as RFID supply chain tracking, tolling systems, security systems, lifesaving public safety equipment, utility and water meters, consumer electronics, and medical-alert devices.
After multiple rounds of public comment and more than 18 months of technical and economic review, opposition to NextNav’s petition is near-unanimous. The vast majority of the more than 2,000 comments filed in the record urge the FCC to deny NextNav’s petition. The opposition is backed by independent testing, economic studies, and warnings from major nationwide public safety organizations that NextNav’s proposal would place first responders and the public at risk. In addition, consumers, ratepayers, and businesses would be forced to absorb billions in expenses caused by the huge disruptions NextNav would cause.
Airlines, aerospace, trucking, retail, tolling, security, utilities, healthcare logistics, oil and gas, consumer technology, agriculture, and public safety all rely on the Lower 900 MHz Band to serve consumers, support government operations, and deliver innovative new products and services. This band has served these industries reliably for more than 30 years under the current FCC rules. With the record complete and the financial and public safety costs clear, the SpecTech Alliance is calling on the FCC to protect Americans and deny NextNav's petition.
About the SpecTech Alliance: The Alliance membership includes Airlines for America, American Trucking Associations, Connected Devices for America Coalition, Consumer Technology Association, National Retail Federation, RAIN Alliance, Retail Industry Leaders Association, and Security Industry Association.