Notice of Request for Comments: V2X Communications |
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Finch Fulton
U.S. Department of Transportation
26 December 2018
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66338-66340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27785]
[[Page 66338]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2018-0210]
Notice of Request for Comments: V2X Communications
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of request for comment.
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SUMMARY: Over the past several years, the Department of Transportation
and its operating administrations have engaged in numerous activities
related to connected vehicles, including vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V),
vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P)
communications, collectively referred to as ``V2X'' communications.
Recently, there have been developments in core aspects of the
communication technologies that could be associated with V2X. This
notice requests comment on how these developments impact both V2X in
general and the Department's role in encouraging the integration of
V2X.
DATES: You should submit your comments within 30 days after the date of
publication in the Federal Register. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section on ``Public Participation,'' below, for more information about
written comments.
ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to the docket number above and be
submitted by one of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments and
additional information on the rulemaking process, see the Public
Participation heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this
document. Note that all comments received will be posted without change
to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided.
Privacy Act: Except as provided below, all comments received into
the docket will be made public in their entirety. The comments will be
searchable by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or
signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an associations,
business, labor union, etc.). You should not include information in
your comment that you do not want to be made public. You may review
DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published
on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or at https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or to the street
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the
dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact us at
automation@dot.gov or Sujeesh Kurup (202-366-9953) for policy issues or
Timothy Mullins (202-366-9038) for legal issues.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Over the past several years, the Department
of Transportation (Department or DOT) and its operating administrations
have engaged in numerous activities related to connected vehicles,
which generally encompass vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-
infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communications,
collectively known as ``V2X.'' These activities are based on the
Department's view that V2X technologies have the potential for
significant safety and mobility benefits, both on their own and as
complementary technologies when combined with in-vehicle sensors
supporting the integration of automated vehicles and other innovative
applications such as platooning.
The agency's connected vehicle activities have primarily centered
on utilizing Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC), which is
consistent with the longstanding and current Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) allocation of the 5.9 GHz radiofrequency band, as
discussed below. Most prominently, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), an operating administration of DOT, issued a
notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to mandate V2V communications for
new light-duty vehicles and to standardize the format and performance
requirements of V2V messages.\1\ The NPRM identified DSRC as the
primary communication medium, but also included provisions for other
mediums if they could meet certain ``performance and interoperability
requirements, which are based on the capabilities of today's DSRC-based
V2V communications.'' \2\ In addition to the NHTSA NPRM, the
Department, State and local governments, and industry are taking many
other actions in developing and deploying V2X technologies. For
example, General Motors recently announced that it will be expanding
DSRC-based V2X deployment on future Cadillac vehicles, following-up the
first U.S. production V2X deployment in the 2017 Cadillac CTS,\3\ and
Toyota announced it would begin offering DSRC-based V2V technology on
selected models beginning in 2021.\4\
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\1\ NHTSA, ``Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; V2V
Communication,'' 82 FR 3854 (Jan. 12, 2017).
\2\ Id. at 3881.
\3\ General Motors, ``Cadillac to Expand Super Cruise Across
Entire Lineup,'' Jun. 6, 2018, available at https://media.gm.com/media/cn/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/cn/en/2018/June/0606_Cadillac-Lineup.html.
\4\ Toyota, ``Toyota and Lexus to Launch Technology to Connect
Vehicles and Infrastructure in the U.S. in 2021,'' Apr. 6, 2018,
available at https://corporatenews.pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+and+lexus+to+launch+technology+connect+vehicles+infrastructure+in+u+s+2021.htm.
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There has also been considerable progress by State and local
governments in deploying V2X technology, in addition to DOT-funded
deployment programs, such as the Ann Arbor Connected Vehicle
Environment, Connected Vehicle Pilots Program, and the Advanced
Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment
Program. All told, the Department understands that by the end of 2018,
there will be more than 18,000 vehicles deployed with aftermarket DSRC-
based V2X communications devices and more than 1,000 infrastructure V2X
devices installed at intersections and along roadways in 25 States.
Significant work has also been done on the development of the
``Security Credential Management System'' (SCMS) for V2X
communications, both by the Department and industry partners
(specifically, the Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership, LLC (CAMP)),
and other private sector organizations.
In addition, there have been developments in core aspects of the
communication technologies needed for V2X, which have raised questions
about how the Department can best ensure that the safety and mobility
benefits of connected vehicles are achieved without interfering with
the rapid technological innovations occurring in both the automotive
and telecommunications industries.
First, there has been progress in both Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) and
``5G'' communications, both of which may, or may not, offer both
advantages and disadvantages over DSRC. C-V2X is based on the LTE (4G)
``release 14''
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standards issued by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) \5\
and is being explored by chip manufacturers.\6\ Also referred to as
``LTE C-V2X,'' it is being evaluated by some auto manufacturers as an
alternative to DSRC.\7\ Standards organizations are also developing the
next generation of cellular communications, generally called ``5G,''
including ``New Radio C-V2X'' (or NR C-V2X), which will focus on
enhanced V2X services in the following four areas: (i) Vehicles
Platooning; (ii) Advanced Driving; (iii) Extended Sensors; and (iv)
Remote Driving.\8\ Requirements for 5G-based NR C-V2X are expected to
be solidified by December of 2019.\9\
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\5\ For details on C-V2X, see 3GPP, ``Release 14,'' http://www.3gpp.org/release-14. For industry development of C-V2X
definitions, see SAE, CV2X Direct Communication Task Force, https://www.sae.org/works/committeeHome.do?comtID=TEV5GDC.
\6\ Qualcomm: https://www.qualcomm.com/invention/5g/cellular-v2xHuawei: https://www.huawei.com/en/press-events/news/2018/6/Huawei-v2x-strategy-RSU-launch.
\7\ http://5gaa.org/news/5gaa-audi-ford-and-qualcomm-showcase-c-v2x-direct-communications-interoperability-to-improve-road-safety-2/.
\8\ https://portal.3gpp.org/desktopmodules/Specifications/SpecificationDetails.aspx?specificationId=3108.
\9\ http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Information/presentations/presentations_2018/RAN80_webinar_summary(brighttalk)extended.pdf.
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Second, in response to interest on the part of certain stakeholders
for additional spectrum to support Wi-Fi services and applications, the
FCC released an NPRM in February 2013 to amend the Commission's rules
governing the operation of Unlicensed National Information
Infrastructure (U-NII) devices in the 5 GHz band. This NPRM sought
public comment on whether the 5.9 GHz band allocated for DSRC might be
shared with unlicensed devices--and principally Wi-Fi devices.\10\ On
June 7, 2016, FCC issued a ``Refresh of the Record'' for this NPRM
asking for additional input as well as prototype devices that would
support testing of sharing concepts.\11\ To assess the feasibility of
certain sharing concepts, the Department collaborated with FCC and the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in
developing a three-phase spectrum sharing test plan, which remains
ongoing.\12\ In addition to these activities, there is the related
question of whether the existing spectrum framework, focused upon DSRC,
should be revised to allow alternative technologies, including those
discussed above, to use the relevant spectrum band for transportation
purposes.
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\10\ See FCC, ``Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure
(U-NII) Devices in the 5 GHz Band,'' 78 FR 21320 (Apr. 10, 2013).
\11\ See FCC, ``Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure
(U-NII) Devices in the 5 GHz Band,'' 81 FR 36501 (Jun. 7, 2016).
\12\ See FCC, Public Notice, ``The Commission Seeks To Update
and Refresh the Record in the `Unlicensed National Information
Infrastructure (U-NII) Devices in the 5 GHz Band' Proceeding,'' Jun.
1, 2016, available at https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-16-68A1.pdf; see also FCC, ``U-NII-4-to-DSRC EMC Test and
Measurement Plan, Phase I: FCC Laboratory Tests,'' Oct. 7, 2016,
available at https://transition.fcc.gov/oet/fcclab/DSRC-Test-Plan-10-05-2016.pdf; FCC, U-NII-4 Prototype Device Testing Open House
Summary,'' Oct. 21, 2016, available at https://transition.fcc.gov/oet/fcclab/U-NII-4-DSRC-Open-House-Oct-21-2016-Summary.pdf; DOT,
``USDOT Spectrum Sharing Analysis Plan: Effects of Unlicensed-
National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) Devices on Dedicated
Short-Range Communications (DSRC),'' Dec. 2017, available at https://www.its.dot.gov/research_archives/connected_vehicle/dsrc_testplan.htm.
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In light of these developments, the Department is interested in
learning more about recent developments in V2X technologies. In
particular, the Department wants to hear from stakeholders, and the
public generally, whether focusing on DSRC as the primary means of V2V
communications is consistent with recent technological developments, as
well as with the Department's general desire to remain technologically
neutral and avoid interfering with the many innovations in
transportation and telecommunication technologies. If technological
developments support the use of alternatives to DSRC, the Department
would also need to know how to ensure that these alternative
technologies are interoperable with each other and DSRC.
We believe the below questions may help guide commenters, but
commenters are also free to provide their views on the general issues
surrounding V2X communications. To the extent possible, please provide
data, technical information, or other evidence to support your
comments.
1. Please provide information on what existing or future
technologies could be used for V2X communications, including, but not
limited to, DSRC, LTE C-V2X and 5G New Radio. What are the advantages
and disadvantages of each technology? What is the timeframe for
deployment of technologies not yet in production? Please provide data
supporting your position.
2. Of the V2X communications technologies previously discussed, at
present only DSRC is permitted to be used in the 5.9 GHz spectrum band
for transportation applications. If that allocation were to be changed
to allow any communication technology for transportation applications,
could DSRC and other technologies (e.g., C-V2X, 5G or any future
technology) operate in the same spectrum band or even the same channel
without interference? Why or why not? If there are any technical
challenges to achieving this goal, what are they and how can they be
overcome?
3. To what extent is it technically feasible for multiple V2X
communications technologies and protocols to be interoperable with one
another? Why or why not? Can this be done in a way that meets the
performance requirements for safety of life applications, as they were
discussed in the V2V NPRM? What additional equipment would be needed to
achieve interoperability or changes in standards and specifications?
What is the projected cost of any necessary changes? How soon can these
changes and equipment prototypes be available for testing?
4. To what extent is it technically feasible for different
generations of the same V2X communications technologies and protocols
to be interoperable with one another? Why or why not? Can this be done
in a way that meets the performance requirements for safety of life
applications? What additional equipment or changes in standards and
specifications would be needed to achieve interoperability? What is the
projected cost of any necessary changes?
5. Even if they are interoperable across different technologies and
generations of the same technology, would there be advantages if a
single communications protocol were to be used for V2V safety
communications? What about other V2X safety applications, such as those
involving V2I and V2P communications?
6. How would the development of alternative communication
technologies affect other V2I and V2P communications, such as those
supporting mobility or environmental applications? Do these
applications have the same or different interoperability issues as V2V
safety communications? Do different V2X applications (e.g., platooning)
have different communication needs, particularly latency?
7. Do different communication technologies present different issues
concerning physical security (i.e., how to integrate alternative
communication technologies into vehicle systems), message security
(i.e., SCMS design or other approaches), or other issues such as
cybersecurity or privacy? Would these concerns be affected if multiple
but still interoperable communication technologies are used rather than
one?
8. How could communications technologies (DSRC, C-V2X, 5G or some
other technology) be leveraged to
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support current and emerging automated vehicle applications? Will
different communication technologies be used in different ways? How?
9. How could deployments, both existing and planned, assess
communications needs and determine which technologies are most
appropriate and whether and how interoperability could be achieved?
Public Participation
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Your comments must be written and in English. To ensure that your
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Please submit one copy (two copies if submitting by mail or hand
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Will the agency consider late comments?
U.S. DOT will consider all comments received before the close of
business on the comment closing date indicated above under DATES. To
the extent possible, the agency will also consider comments received
after that date.
How can I read the comments submitted by other people?
You may read the comments received at the address given above under
COMMENTS. The hours of the docket are indicated above in the same
location. You may also see the comments on the internet, identified by
the docket number at the heading of this notice, at http://www.regulations.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC on December 12, 2018, under authority
delegated at 49 U.S.C. 1.25a.
Finch Fulton,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-27785 Filed 12-21-18; 8:45 am]
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