(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) hosted an event to discuss some common misconceptions about technological developments, connected vehicles, 5G and DSRC/C-V2X. The panelists included Futurist, Technologist, and Autonomous Vehicles Expert Brad Templeton, Vice President of Policy at TechFreedom Ian Adams and was moderated by Austin Bonner, Attorney, Harris Wiltshire & Grannis.

In 1999, the automotive industry promised that dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) would be a game-changer in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications if the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted exclusive access to the 5.9 GHz frequency spectrum band for its development. Twenty years later, this important spectrum band has gone largely unused, while the connected-car environment has continued to evolve beyond the DSRC technology. Today’s event highlighted the need for a second look at how this spectrum is being utilized.

CAGW Director of Technology and Telecommunications Policy Deborah Collier issued the following statement at the conclusion of the event:

“It is clear from today’s discussion that the FCC needs to review this spectrum and allow all interested parties to weigh in on the best use of the 5.9 GHz band, whether that is for auto safety, unlicensed use, or some other purpose. Until that is accomplished, this band will continue to be underutilized.”

Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.