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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  December  17,  2003  Lauren  Patrich  at  (202)  418-  7944 
 FCC  ADOPTS  RULES  FOR  INTELLIGENT  TRANSPORTATION  SYSTEMS  TO  ADVANCE  HOMELAND  SECURITY  AND  TRAVELER  SAFETY 
 New  Service  at  5.9  GHz  for  Dedicated  Short-  Range  Communications  Will  Enhance  Public  Safety 
 Washington,  D.  C.  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  today  adopted  licensing  and  service  rules  for  the  5.9  GHz  Band  (5.850-  5.925  GHz  band)  for  Dedicated  Short-  Range 
 Communications  (DSRC)  in  the  Intelligent  Transportation  Systems  (ITS)  Radio  Service.  ITS  services  will  provide  many  public  safety  benefits  that  will  enhance  homeland  security. 


 DSRC  systems  will  provide  a  short-  range,  wireless  link  to  transfer  information  between  vehicles  traveling  at  high  speeds  and  roadside  units  or  other  vehicles.  Some  examples  of  short-range 
 ITS  applications  include:  intersection  collision  avoidance,  work  zone  warnings,  road  condition  warnings,  electronic  toll  collection,  and  electronic  payment  for  gas,  fast  food,  or 
 parking.  ITS  applications  are  expected  to  improve  traveler  safety,  decrease  traffic  congestion,  reduce  air  pollution,  and  conserve  vital  fossil  fuels.  The  FCC  has  been  working  closely  on  ITS 
 with  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Transportation  and  will  continue  this  partnership  as  ITS  applications  are  developed  and  implemented. 


 Background 
 In  October  1999,  the  Commission  allocated  the  5.9  GHz  band  for  DSRC-  based  ITS  applications  and  adopted  basic  technical  rules  for  DSRC  operations.  After  the  allocation  was 
 made,  the  Intelligent  Transportation  Society  of  America  (ITS  America)  –  a  Federal  Advisory  Committee  to  the  Department  of  Transportation  on  ITS  matters  –  worked  to  develop  a  consensus 
 in  the  ITS  community  on  licensing  and  service  rules  for  ITS  and,  in  July  2002,  presented  a  recommendation  to  the  Commission  for  service  rules  for  DSRC  operations  in  the  5.9  GHz  band. 
 In  November  2002,  the  Commission  initiated  this  proceeding  to  settle  on  ITS  licensing  and  service  rules,  tentatively  concluding  that  the  5.9  GHz  band  should  be  used  primarily  for  public 
 safety  purposes,  and  asking  for  public  comment  on  how  to  define  “public  safety”  and  DSRC  for  these  purposes,  as  well  as  the  appropriate  basis  for  licensing  roadside  units  (e.  g.,  site-  based  or 
 geographic  area)  and  how  to  achieve  interoperability  in  the  band. 
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