SpecTech Alliance: FCC Should Reject NextNav's Plan to Seize the Lower 900 MHz Band

WASHINGTON – Today, a broad coalition of American industries launched the SpecTech Alliance to protect an array of consumer, industrial, and governmental services currently under threat from wide scale interference. The Alliance formed in opposition to NextNav, Inc.'s petition to upend the Lower 900 MHz Band (902–928 MHz) and to protect billions of dollars in investment. The newly formed alliance—comprised of leading organizations in the trucking and logistics, retail, aviation, aerospace, security, consumer electronics, critical infrastructure, and technology sectors—warns that NextNav's proposal would burden American consumers and businesses with billions of dollars in unnecessary costs, disrupt critical operations, impact safety, and threaten a multitude of devices and technologies that millions of Americans rely on every day.

“Retailers rely on RFID technology every day to manage inventory, improve supply chain visibility, enable loss prevention tools and serve customers efficiently,” National Retail Federation Executive Vice President of Government Relations David French said. “The NextNav proposal would impose significant costs on businesses that have already invested billions in these systems, with consequences that could ultimately be felt by consumers. NRF is proud to stand with the SpecTech Alliance in support of technology-neutral solutions that protect innovation, resilience and affordability.”

After multiple rounds of public comment and more than 18 months of technical and economic review, opposition to NextNav’s petition before the FCC is near-unanimous. The vast majority of the more than 2,000 comments filed in the record urge the FCC to deny NextNav’s petition. The opposition is backed by independent testing, economic studies, and warnings from major nationwide public safety organizations that NextNav’s proposal would place first responders and the public at risk.

Airlines, aerospace, trucking, retail, tolling, security, utilities, healthcare logistics, oil and gas, consumer technology, agriculture, and public safety all rely on the Lower 900 MHz Band to serve consumers, support government operations, and deliver innovative new products and services. This band has served these industries reliably for more than 30 years under the current FCC rules. With the record complete and the financial and public safety costs clear, the SpecTech Alliance is calling on the FCC to protect Americans and deny NextNav's petition.

About NRF
The National Retail Federation passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail succeed. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supporting more than one in four U.S. jobs — 55 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. nrf.com

About SpecTech Alliance
The Alliance membership includes Airlines for America, American Trucking Associations, Connected Devices for America Coalition, Consumer Technology Association, National Retail Federation, RAIN Alliance, Retail Industry Leaders Association, and Security Industry Association. spectechalliance.com