Ford Takes Regulator for a Spin in Pitch to Save Connected Cars

Michael Calabrese was quoted in Bloomberg about ending carmakers' exclusive rights to the frequencies at 5.9 GHz and allocating that band to Wi-Fi systems benefiting consumers.

They’ve called for ending carmakers’ exclusive rights to the frequencies at 5.9 GHz and allocating all or most of the band to the Wi-Fi systems that carry web traffic for most cable customers.

Some consumer groups agree. They include the Consumer Federation of America, the American Library Association, Public Knowledge and the Open Technology Institute at New America.

“The best outcome for consumers is to move vehicle safety signaling to a different set of frequencies and allow next generation Wi-Fi to use 5.9 GHz,” Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Project at the Open Technology Institute, said in an email.