On September 15, NextNav’s John Kim, Senior Vice President of Technology and Development, issued the following statement regarding an SIA-sponsored study filed with the Federal Communications Commission:
We have identified significant errors in the SIA-sponsored study that undermine its validity. Its 5G network assumptions are hidden and appear to be specifically invented to create the appearance of interference. The filing does not specifically examine the devices actually used by the security industry and therefore cannot show any impact to those devices. It also fails to consider current features that enable coexistence across technologies in this band. These flaws are among the many examples we look forward to fully addressing in the record.
We are confident in our proposal and our technical analyses, and that 5G-powered 3D PNT will play an important role in a resilient PNT system of systems to complement and back up GPS. NextNav has submitted two comprehensive technical engineering studies that have already demonstrated that introducing 5G operations will not cause unacceptable interference to unlicensed devices. We consistently found that Part 15 devices can continue to operate across the entire 902-928 MHz band. Those studies specifically examined five different unlicensed technologies, including the Z-Wave technology standard previously cited by the Security Industry Association and the Alarm Industry Communications Committee as the primary unlicensed technology supporting security systems.
As we have repeatedly stated – we stand by our engineering, and the appropriate venue to resolve any remaining technical questions is an NPRM, so that the FCC can optimize the lower 900 MHz band and deliver a win for national security, public safety, and the American economy.