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Lower 900 MHz Band

Proposed Reorganization of the Lower 900 MHz Band:

Issues and Implications for Tolling from the NextNav FCC Petition

Infographic: protect the 900mhz band
Protecting the lower 900 MHz Spectrum for Tolling and Transportation

NextNav. Inc. petitioned the FCC to reallocate portions of the 902-928 MHz where electronic toll systems have operated for 35 years. The proposed spectrum changes are intended to support NextNav’s new Position Navigation and Timing (PNT) system to address U.S. GPS vulnerabilities.What it means for electronic tolling.

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Summary of Proposed Reorganization

  • The petition would reduce the spectrum available to tolling by more than 20%.
  • It would introduce high-powered base stations and handheld units in vehicles, risking harmful inference to electronic tolling operations.
  • Reducing the available spectrum would result in missed tag reads, increased reliance on less accurate collection methods, higher transaction costs, billing errors, reduced revenue for government, and lower consumer trust and confidence in the system.
  • A recent study estimates capital costs of $2.4 billion to modify equipment and systems to mitigate interference impacts.  New ongoing operating costs for retuning and validation would be needed as well.
  • A singular terrestrial PNT system represents a new single point of failure, rather than a “system-of-systems” approach as cited in the federal PNT strategy.
  • It would provide NextNav a competitive edge worth over $2 billion over other solutions that are less impactful to existing users.
  • There are other solutions for GPS alternatives that are less impactful to current users and don’t require a public subsidy for exclusive rights for a single commercial entity.

Federal Communications Commission Documents

IBTTA Resources and Documents

Other Industry Resources