Report: DSRC mandate moving off the table for automakers

OTI and Wireless Future Project's Michael Calabrese was quoted in a Fierce Wireless article on the Obama administration's "talking car" mandate and how its reversal can pave the way for faster and better Wi-Fi:

Michael Calabrese, director, Wireless Future Program at New America, a nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C., said the Obama "talking car mandate" would have been doubly bad for consumers.

“The mandate would have forced new car buyers to spend $100 billion on equipment that NHTSA acknowledges will not be effective for 15 years, since its reliability depends on nearly all vehicles being equipped. A mandate could also deny consumers faster and better Wi-Fi, since it would occupy valuable airwaves needed to make wireless broadband more fast and affordable. In addition, independent researchers have documented serious privacy and security vulnerabilities in the proposed technology,” he said.

“DSRC is just too little, too late. Many years before it could show up in most vehicles, lasers, cameras and other driver assist technologies, combined with 5G cellular car connectivity, will be able to do everything DSRC promises to do, while also making each individual new car safer from day one.”