Public Safety Groups Oppose NextNav Proposal for 900 MHz Band
Four major public safety groups on Wednesday opposed a NextNav proposal for the FCC to reconfigure the 902-928 MHz band to enable a “terrestrial complement” to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT).
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Unlicensed devices operate in the lower 900 MHz band, “including many types of life safety technology that are used by public safety agencies and homeowners on a daily basis,” said a filing Wednesday in docket 24-240. “Altering the rules for this band, as NextNav proposes, risks creating interference with these devices, which could compromise the reliable operation of technologies relied upon for public safety and emergency response.”
The filing cited different systems that could be affected, including man-down systems, IoT wildfire sensing and wind profile radars, and devices that allow first responders to override traffic signals. It was signed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials and the National Sheriffs’ Association.
Ed Mortimer, NextNav’s vice president of government affairs, expressed surprise at the comments, since they came the same day as a first responder indoor tracking summit hosted by the Fairfax County, Virginia, Fire & Rescue Department.
“We and government … officials talked candidly about the real-world challenges posed by poor location data, how it leads to avoidable loss of life, and what technology is needed to better protect first responders and the public,” Mortimer said in an email. The filing “provides no evidence or analysis to support its technical assertions,” and the questions raised show why the FCC should move forward on an NPRM.