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The Commission proposed to amend its rules to enable enhanced vehicular radar technologies in the 76-77 GHz band to improve collision avoidance and driver safety. Vehicular radars can determine the exact distance and relative speed of objects in front of, beside, or behind a car to improve the driver's ability to perceive objects under bad visibility conditions or objects that are in blind spots. These modifications to the rules will provide more efficient use of spectrum, and enable the automotive and fixed radar application industries to develop enhanced safety measures for drivers and the general public. The Commission takes this action in response to petitions for rulemaking filed by Toyota Motor Corporation ("TMC") and Era Systems Corporation ("Era"). The Report and Order amends the Commission's rules to provide a more efficient use of the 76-77 GHz band, and to enable the automotive and aviation industries to develop enhanced safety measures for drivers and the general public. Specifically, the Commission eliminated the in-motion and not-in-motion distinction for vehicular radars, and instead adopted new uniform emission limits for forward, side, and rear-looking vehicular radars. This will facilitate enhanced vehicular radar technologies to improve collision avoidance and driver safety. The Commission also amended its rules to allow the operation of fixed radars at airport locations in the 76-77 GHz band for purposes of detecting foreign object debris on runways and monitoring aircraft and service vehicles on taxiways and other airport vehicle service areas that have no public vehicle access. The Commission took this action in response to petitions for rulemaking filed by Toyota Motor Corporation ("TMC") and Era Systems Corporation ("Era"). Petitions for Reconsideration were filed by Navtech Radar, Ltd. and Honeywell International Inc.

Navtech Radar, Ltd. And Honeywell International, Inc., filed petitions for reconsideration in response to the Vehicular Radar R&O that modified the Commission’s Part 15 rules to permit vehicular radar technologies and airport-based fixed radar applications in the 76-77 GHz band.

The Commission denied Honeywell’s petition. Section 1.429(b) of the Commission’s rules provides three ways in which a petition for reconsideration can be granted, and none of these have been met. Honeywell has not shown that its petition relies on facts regarding fixed radar use which had not previously been presented to the Commission, nor does it show that its petition relies on facts that relate to events that changed since Honeywell had the last opportunity to present its facts regarding fixed radar use.   

The Commission stated in the in the Vehicular Radar R&O, "that no parties have come forward to support fixed radar applications beyond airport locations in this band,” and it decided not to adopt provisions for unlicensed fixed radar use other than those for FOD detection applications at airport locations. Because Navtech first participated in the proceeding when it filed its petition well after the decision was published, its petition fails to meet the timeliness standard of Section 1.429(d).

In connection with the Commission’s decision to deny the petitions for reconsideration discussed above, the Commission terminates ET Docket Nos. 10-28 and 11-90 (pertaining to vehicular radar).