Opponents of the change warn that it could disrupt many devices, including those used for tolling. (Willopix/Getty Images)
key takeaways:
- The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing NextNav’s petition to repurpose the lower 900 MHz spectrum for a 5G-based backup navigation network, drawing opposition from the trucking and other industries.
- Trucking groups and other stakeholders warn that the change could disrupt RFID-based supply chain systems and precision applications, while NextNav and supporters argue that backups could reduce costly GPS outages.
- Regulatory interagency review continues As lawmakers examine interference risks and alternatives, the Department of Transportation is testing other PNT alternatives that do not use the 900 MHz band.
The federal review of the proposed backup geolocation network has drawn intense scrutiny as stakeholders, including the trucking industry, battle over its potential harm.
The Federal Communications Commission is considering a rulemaking petition from technology firm NextNav requesting that a portion of the wireless spectrum band be reconfigured to enable a 5G terrestrial positioning, navigation and timing network that would complement GPS technology.
The proposal, which moves to an interagency review in March 2026, has drawn attention from groups such as the American Trucking Associations this year.
“ATA, along with partners throughout the trucking industry and a broad coalition of stakeholders, including retailers and aviation, all strongly oppose this petition because of the critical use cases of spectrum for existing supply chain services,” ATA President Chris Speer said in testimony at a June 9 hearing before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipeline and Security.
The same band of spectrum currently supports asset and shipment tracking, transponders, and other systems that rely on radio-frequency identification.
“All modes of freight transportation have made significant investments in RFID-based solutions,” Spear said. “The lower 900 MHz band is used in trackers for supply chain security to thwart cargo theft, track equipment and inventory, bypass tolls, and bypass weigh stations.”
Spear stressed that ATA recognizes the importance of strengthening PNT capabilities, but warned that any efforts to develop terrestrial GPS backup systems must be carefully balanced against the needs of existing spectrum users.
Speer testified at the June 9 hearing. (Karen Foote/American Trucking Association)
The NextNav petition has generated a variety of ideas from different industries and interests.
“Everyone here has a bull to kill,” said Avi Rosenthal, president of the opposition group Z-Wave Alliance. “You could argue that the retail and trucking industries are going to be more impacted because they have more physical equipment.”
Rosenthal is among those opponents who still believe a secondary PNT network is needed. He sees it as an important infrastructure issue. But he also said there are about a dozen other proposals that do not require lower-band acquisition.
“GPS underpins modern infrastructure, and relying on one system leaves America vulnerable,” Renee Gregory, vice president of regulatory affairs at NextNav, told Transportation Topics. “We are on a mission to help close that gap with a ground-based 5G-powered 3D PNT solution that can complement and backup GPS at no cost to taxpayers.”
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee held a hearing in June to examine PNT capabilities. MPs fielded questions from stakeholders on the issue, particularly on its potential for network interference. NextNav said its proposal takes advantage of licensed spectrum and the existing 5G ecosystem to provide an additional layer of security that still allows unlicensed users.
Traffic passes through the toll plaza on the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, NJ (Ted Sheffrey/Associated Press)
a spectrum of ideas
“Most of the opponents in the FCC docket actually agree with the need for backup GPS and a reliable (PNT) network,” said Lauren Bressette, associate director of government relations at the Security Industry Association. “But his specific proposal would cause more harm than it solves, and there is debate about whether it would be effective.”
Bressette said this lower limit is valuable to the security industry because of a rule that requires licensees to prove they are not causing harmful interference. He warned that the change would disrupt devices with long-range frequency connections, such as tolling, port security and RFID tags.
“Precision GPS applications such as agriculture and construction rely on terrestrial radio links that transmit in the lower 900 MHz band,” said Lisa Dyer, executive director of the GPS Innovation Alliance. “As indicated in NextNav’s application, any attempts to broadcast higher-power 5G signals in the lower 900 MHz band will impact those radio links.”
Dyer warned that this could jeopardize economically important precision PNT applications. He also urged federal regulators not to set their thumb on the scale for any particular solution, as market-driven innovations have already been shown to work for similar issues.
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Bressette said, “Part of their proposal is to restructure some of their existing licenses in the band to allow higher-power operation, and then also remove the requirement that they prove they do not cause harmful interference to unlicensed equipment.” “Things like alarm systems.”
An economic report by The Brattle Group, commissioned by NextNav, estimated that a one-day global GPS outage would cost the US economy $1.6 billion and indicated that NextNav’s terrestrial backup would act as a $10.8 billion insurance policy against satellite outages.
“The need for greater flexibility in life-saving and mission-critical terrestrial PNT technologies has been recognized by four presidential administrations,” said Paroma Sanyal, telecommunications industry expert at Brattle. “Yet few proposals have provided a clear path to a strong solution without substantial government intervention or taxpayer funding.”
In addition to the NextNav proposal, the government is also taking a broader look at the backup GPS issue and may pursue other proposals, said Bressette of the Security Industry Association.
“The Department of Transportation is examining nine alternative options,” Bressette said. “None of them, other than the NextNav proposal, will even touch the lower 900 MHz.”
Rosenthal suspects that the massive opposition against the NextNav proposal delayed the review process, with the normally three- to four-month process lasting more than a year.
