Transportation

Industry lawyers and consultants predict the recently enacted $1 trillion infrastructure measure is likely to create more investment opportunities for private-equity firms in areas they already favor, such as telecommunications, while doing little to expand their presence in the government-dominated transportation sec

The explosion of the internet of things (IoT) is enabling communities across the globe to evolve into smart cities. Leveraging sensors, networks and data analysis, communities are addressing challenges in health care, energy, the workforce, public safety and many other sectors. But what’s behind the pulse of the smart city? Fiber infrastructure serves as the veins that support emerging applications, such as smart traffic sensors, connected vehicles and modern, cloud-connected medical devices.

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has been laying fiber optic conduit along a 46-mile stretch of I-17 between Flagstaff and Sedona (AZ) as part of a project to bring broadband internet access to rural communities in the state. The broadband initiative is made possible by a partnership between ADOT and the Arizona Commerce Authority. The project will create more affordable opportunities to provide rural communities in Arizona with high-speed internet service.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike is ready to make money — potentially tens of millions — by selling space on a new broadband system along the toll road in Eastern Pennsylvania. The agency has nearly completed two projects totaling $95 million to install fiber-optic cable under the berm of about 220 miles of the highway, split almost evenly between the main line from Harrisburg to the New Jersey border and the Northeast Extension.

Rep Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is asking the Federal Communications Commission to step in and stop the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) from charging providers for high-speed internet infrastructure.

The Federal Communications Commission, backed by the Department of Justice, told the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit that it was reasonable for the FCC to reclaim a swath of 5.9 GHz licensed vehicular communications spectrum for unlicensed WiFi and it had the authority to do so.

JD Power's new study finds 1 in 4 problems cited by car buyers in the first 90 days of ownership involves infotainment. For the first time in a decade, voice recognition is not the top problem; instead, it's Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, which worsened significantly, especially for those trying to connect wirelessly. About one-third of new cars now come with a built-in WiFi hub, which may or may not be compatible with a phone's operating system.

The next administration should maximize the use of all available policy tools to close the homework gap and keep it closed. First, the Federal Communications Commission should update the existing E-rate program to allow schools to ensure home access to broadband for every student and teacher (Pre-K to Grade 12). Second, the FCC, in coordination with the Department of Education, should launch a one-to-one device program for students and teachers (Pre-K to Grade 12).

House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO), and 36 Members of the committee sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission to raise serious concerns with the FCC’s plan to redirect more than half the 5.9 GHz spectrum band. In December 2019, the FCC proposed to reallocate more than half of the 5.9 GHz radio frequency band (or Safety Band) to unlicensed operations, such as Wi-Fi.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai released the following statement regarding an upcoming Cellular Vehicle to Everything (CV2X) deployment in Northern Virginia, which was announced Jan 22 by Audi, Qualcomm, and the Virginia Department of Transportation. The deployment will include warnings that automatically alert cars to upcoming work zones as well as SPaT (signal phase and timing), which enables cars to receive a countdown from a red light to a green light: