The Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) Service was established by the Federal Communications Commission in 2003.  Operating in the 5.850-5.925 GHz band (commonly called the 5.9 GHz band), the service is used for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications.  Services such as autonomous automatic emergency brakes and adaptive traffic signal control are amongst the myriad of uses being planned.  Governmental, commercial and private DSRC systems are permissible.

While the service has been envisioned for many years, only now is it being incorporated into vehicles.  The Cadillac CTS comes equipped for DSRC communications, as well as three Toyota models.  Toyota and Lexus have made major commitments to DSRC.

A DSRC system includes On-Board Units (OBUs) and Roadside Units (RSUs).  The FCC will license Governmental entities under Part 90 for a geographic-area, and others by county, state, multi-state or nationwide.  While OBUs are licensed by rule, each RSU must be registered with the FCC.  Operation prior to licensing/registration is prohibited.  Failure to do so negates your ability to cure interference from secondary users in the band.

The Shulman Rogers FCC Licensing Staff prepares hundreds of Part 90 FCC applications every year, and we can prepare and file applications on your behalf.  We know the rules and can help you navigate the FCC processes.  Importantly, working with industry-leading engineering consultants, we can help you with post-licensing interference problems.  Learn more about our Licensing Preparation Services here.

Our DSRC Licensing Team

With over 30 years of wireless experience, Alan Tilles is viewed as one of the “go-to” attorneys in the telecommunications industry. At Shulman Rogers, Alan leads the firm’s Telecommunications Department, guiding its attorneys and legal assistants to provide unparalleled legal representation to governments, associations and private organizations.

Dana Daberkow has over 23 years of experience in the FCC licensing field as a licensing assistant.  Prior to joining Shulman Rogers, Dana spent seven years as FCC Licensing and Contract/Lease Manager for Pittencrieff Communications, Inc. in Abilene, Texas and one year as FCC Licensing and Contract/Lease Manager for Intek Global, Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri.  She has spent the last 17 years at Shulman Rogers assisting in all aspects of FCC licensing and compliance for communications service providers as well as private, internal radio users.