The 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings is fast approaching. The magnitude of that accomplishment, and the comparatively unsophisticated technologies available to make it happen, serves as a reminder of just how much life has changed since July 20, 1969. But while technologies have evolved, the electromagnetic spectrum has not. Spectrum is, and will remain, a scarce resource desired by many and held by few, be it for rockets to the moon, the phones in our pockets, or cars on the road.
Demand for spectrum has led to the development and introduction of technologies to squeeze more use out of spectrum, but when looking to allocate (or reallocate) the finite electromagnetic spectrum, spectrum efficiency must be the driving force behind spectrum policy. Nowhere is this more true than in the context of connected vehicles, where a renewed debate is underway about the disposition of the “Intelligent Transportation System” (ITS) band.
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