Federal Communications Commission Chair Julius Genachowski
announced earlier this month that the commission is seeking to
"unleash" the 5.9 GHz band in order to "increase speeds and
alleviate Wi-Fi congestion at major hubs, such as airports,
convention centers, and large conference gatherings." However,
doing so may interfere with the connected vehicle program, which
is designed to use that frequency. Currently, the U.S.
Department of Transportation is testing connected vehicle
technology, which is a multimodal initiative that will allow for
wireless communications between vehicles, transportation
infrastructure, and passenger communication devices. While still
in early phases, proponents believe the technology will greatly
increase safety (through vehicle crash prevention applications),
improve mobility (by allowing drivers to make choices that
reduce delays), and improve the environment (through less wasted
fuel). The connected vehicle program relies on the 5.9GHz band
spectrum to transmit the messages that