The right to use UHF RFID bands in the United States is at risk of being snatched up

A location, Navigation, Timing (PNT) and 3D geolocation technology company called NextNav has filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to realign the rights to the 902-928 MHz band. The request has attracted widespread attention, especially from the UHF RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology industry. In its petition, NextNav argued for expanding the power level, bandwidth, and priority of its license, and proposed the use of 5G connections over relatively low bandwidth. The company hopes the FCC will change the rules so that terrestrial 3D PNT networks can support two-way transmissions in 5G and the lower 900 MHz band. NextNav claims that such a system could be used for location mapping and tracking services such as enhanced 911 (E911) communications, impro the efficiency and accuracy of emergency response. NextNav spokesman Howard Waterman said this initiative provides tremendous benefits to the public by creating a complement and backup to GPS and frees up much-needed spectrum for 5G broadband. However, this plan poses a potential threat to the use of traditional RFID technology. Aileen Ryan, CEO of the RAIN Alliance, noted that RFID technology is extremely popular in the United States, with about 80 billion items currently tagged with UHF RAIN RFID, covering a variety of industries including retail, logistics, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, automotive, aviation and more. If these RFID devices are interfered with or do not work as a result of NextNav’s request, it will have a significant impact on the entire economic system. The FCC is currently accepting public comments related to this petition, and the comment period will end on September 5, 2024. The RAIN Alliance and other organizations are actively preparing a joint letter and submitting data to the FCC to explain the potential impact NextNav’s application could have on RFID deployment. In addition, the RAIN Alliance plans to meet with relevant committees in the U.S. Congress to further elaborate its position and garner more support. Through these efforts, they hope to prevent NextNav’s application from being approved and protect the normal use of RFID technology.