Spectrum Dispute Heats Up as IBTTA, NextNav Clash Over 900 MHz Band
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A contentious debate over the lower 900 MHz spectrum band has intensified following the submission of a report commissioned by the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA) and subsequent responses from NextNav NN 0.00%↑.
The IBTTA-funded paper, authored by Harold Furchtgott-Roth, raised concerns about NextNav's FCC proposal to reallocate the spectrum for a 5G-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) network, arguing it would negatively impact tolling operations. NextNav, however, contends the report is biased and based on flawed assumptions.
More than 100 companies and industry organizations made recent comments to the Federal Communications Commission as part of a Notice of Inquiry examining technologies complementing, or supplementing, the U.S. Global Positioning System. The process will conclude on May 13.
Renee Gregory, vice president of regulatory affairs at NextNav, dismissed the IBTTA report as funded by groups with a "narrow interest in preserving the status quo." She argued that the paper's dollar figures are based on the "false assumption" that licensed and unlicensed users would lose access to the band.
NextNav's engineering studies, she stated, demonstrate that 5G operations would not cause unacceptable interference to existing unlicensed devices. Gregory also reiterated NextNav's commitment to working with licensees, including tolling operators, to develop coexistence solutions and provide financial and technical support for a smooth transition.
NextNav emphasized its commitment to collaborating with incumbent operators to find coexistence solutions for licensed non-M-LMS systems, such as railroads and tolling. The company said it would provide financial and technical support for any necessary equipment upgrades. They claim that most tolling systems operate within a 10 MHz segment of the band, and NextNav's proposal would leave ample spectrum for continued tolling operations. They also asserted that standard spectrum management practices can ensure coexistence between 5G networks and tolling systems.
In a separate development, NextNav also addressed filings from the Z-Wave Alliance, which raised concerns on behalf of unlicensed users. Gregory stated that NextNav's unlicensed coexistence study, based on "real-world data and thorough engineering analyses," shows that 5G will not cause harmful interference. She criticized the Z-Wave Alliance's filing for lacking "detailed technical data or analysis" and urged all stakeholders to engage in "sound, fact-based, and engineering-driven decision-making."
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Omnitracs Seeks Retrial in Motive Patent Case
Fleet management pioneer Omnitracs has filed a motion for a retrial after a jury found competitor Motive not guilty of patent infringement, according to court documents. Omnitracs originally sued Motive in October 2023, alleging Motive infringed on several patents related to fleet management systems.
After a nearly two-year legal battle, a jury delivered a unanimous verdict on April 25, finding Motive not guilty. At the time, Motive's chief legal officer Shu White said Omnitracs "chose to wrongfully accuse us of patent infringement, instead of investing their time to build better and more innovative products to serve their customers."
However, in a 33-page motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Omnitracs claims Motive's conduct during the trial was prejudicial. According to the motion, which was obtained by truck industry publication FreightWaves, Omnitracs alleges that Motive made improper and irrelevant assertions that prejudiced the jury.
Omnitracs further alleges that Motive violated court orders regarding the disclosure of their legal investigation and made racial and religious insinuations during cross-examination of an Omnitracs expert witness. Omnitracs contends these actions prevented a fair trial.
For its part, Motive serves more than 100,000 customers, including Halliburton, KONE, Komatsu, NBC Universal and Maersk.
Presiding U.S. District Judge Rita Lin is expected to respond to Omnitracs' motion this week.
Sierra Space Achieves Third Milestone in Space Force GPS Program
Sierra Space announced this week that it has reached its third testing milestone in the U.S. Space Force's Resilient GPS (R-GPS) satellite program. The company said the milestone occurred with early integration of the R-GPS satellite technology through its FlatSat flight software and hardware subsystem testing.
Additionally, Sierra Space demonstrated successful communication between its ground software and a ground stations-as-a-service provider. The R-GPS program aims to enhance the resilience of GPS against threats like jamming and spoofing by incorporating a network of smaller satellites into the existing architecture, the company said.
Sierra Space announced in September a “Quick Start” R-GPS contract awarded by the Space Systems Command (SSC) to produce design concepts for smaller, more cost-effective GPS satellites. According to Erik Daehler, vice president of Sierra Space Defense, the field for this program has narrowed to three companies. He emphasized Sierra Space's focus on advancing GPS technology for national security and stated that these demonstrations highlight their dedication to defense tech innovation.
Loveland, Colo.-based Sierra Space, along with Astranis and L3Harris, were the companies selected to compete in the R-GPS program.
The recent testing milestone showcased the successful flow of commands and telemetry between Sierra Space's ground software and the ground stations provider, the company said. This step confirms that the technology will eventually function from orbit with ground-based facilities, the company said. The company also successfully tested flight software and hardware subsystems in a FlatSat configuration, where satellite components are laid out flat for evaluation.
Weekly Location Industry News
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Top News:
🛰 GMV Strengthens Its Relevance in the EGNOS Program With the SDAF Project. “The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has awarded GMV one of the two contracts for Stage 1 of the Service Data Access Facility (SDAF) project. The Stage 1 of the contract awarded to GMV covers the initial design and prototyping phase of the SDAF infrastructure.”
⚡ Sound-Controlled Light Paves Way for GPS-Free Navigation. “Detailed in Science Advances, Marpaung has essentially molded the precision and versatility of a well-known physical phenomenon called Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) into a form that's ready for mass manufacturing.”
👉 Digital Matter Welcomes Loic Barancourt as New CEO. Digital Matter has appointed Loic Barancourt as CEO. Barancourt most recently served as group COO at UnaBiz.
🛥 US Coast Guard Plans to Remove Hundreds of Navigational Buoys in Northeast. “As part of a broader effort to modernize how mariners navigate U.S. waters, the Coast Guard is proposing the discontinuation of approximately 350 buoys across the Northeast—roughly 6 percent of all federally maintained aids to navigation (AtoN) in the region. The proposal reflects a shift toward integrating modern electronic navigation systems—like GPS, electronic charts, and smartphone apps—with a leaner, more sustainable system of physical markers.”
😒 Garmin Quietly Confirms Our Worst Fears About Garmin Connect+.
🤞 High Accuracy Indoor Positioning System Using Galois Field-Based. “Garmin GRMN 0.00%↑ claims the response to its Connect+ subscription service ‘has been positive,’ but it's also hinted at a future where premium features are reserved for behind the paywall, in what is likely to be seen as another blow to loyal users.”
😐 Cryptography and Hybrid Deep Learning.
Expert nationwide installation services for fleet technologies.
Maps
🙂 25 Years of GPS Going Public: How This Tech Policy Changed Maps and Navigation Forever. “During the era of Selective Availability, TomTom had to find various workaround options to position people and vehicles on maps as accurately as possible.”
🚘 CarPlay Users Giving Up on Google Maps for Waze, Bad News After the Latest Update. “Google Maps has long been considered the number one alternative to Apple Maps on iPhone and CarPlay, but some users are now switching to Waze due to a bug seemingly introduced in a recent update. The bug appeared after installing the latest iOS update, albeit some users claim that they've ended up struggling with Google Maps after deploying the newest app build.”
👍 AI Is Changing the Way Mapmakers Digitize Our World for Automation. “New vehicles have sensor stacks that can enhance users' mapping experiences. They can detect new signs, road regulations and streets. All the gathered data is anonymized and needs to be verified. HERE Technologies employs a team that references multiple sources of information before changing a map, including aerial photography, satellite images and sensor data.”
🗺 Kakao Map Opens Indoor Map Service. “Kakao Map, Kakao's location-based life platform, has announced that it has opened an indoor map service that provides information on stores and convenience facilities by floor at 54 train stations [in South Korea].
😉 Google Maps Rival Updated With a Feature Waze Should Totally Copy. “Sygic is one of the biggest names in this space. The company has been offering navigation products for many years, and its mobile app, simply called Sygic GPS Navigation & Maps, keeps evolving with features you won't find elsewhere. Living proof is the latest update that brings the app to version 25.1.1.”
📲 The Hidden Options in Apple Maps That Will Make Your Life Easier. “To save a place, you simply need to tap the ‘Add Note’ button that appears, and then the user can enter the desired information before closing with Done.”
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Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
😮 Amazon's Zoox Robotaxi Unit Issues Software Recall After Recent Las Vegas Crash. Amazon’s AMZN 0.00%↑ Zoox issued a software recall for 270 of its robotaxis after a crash in Las Vegas last month, the company said.
👍 Waymo, Magna to Produce Jaguar, Zeekr Self-Driving Cars at U.S. Plant. “Waymo plans to assemble Jaguar I-Pace and Zeekr vehicles with its autonomous technology at a new U.S. plant, with Canadian auto parts supplier partner Magna International Inc.”
🤷♂️ Waymo Robotaxi Finds Itself Pulled over by Tokyo Police. “As could be seen in the image, which was posted on X by user @YukkuriMasa1225, a Waymo robotaxi was seemingly pulled over by traffic police.”
🥇 Continental Reaches 200 Million Radar Milestone. “Continental has set a milestone and is celebrating the production of 200 million radar sensors.”
👉 The World's Biggest Automaker Wants To Show Tesla How Self-Driving Is Done. “The goal? To push for the deployment of Toyota-branded self-driving cars (the Lexus LS has previously been used, but these new vehicles will be built from scratch), with road safety improvement and mobility for all in mind.”
🚗 Amazon's Zoox to Scale up Robotaxi Production for US Expansion, FT Reports. “The company will open a new site in California's Bay Area to expand its footprint beyond a small production facility in Fremont, Zoox co-founder Jesse Levinson told the newspaper.”
Fleet Telematics:
✔ Gridline Strengthens Market Leadership with Strategic Acquisition of Shell’s Telematics Business. “Gridline has announced the strategic acquisition of the Shell Telematics business. As part of the agreement, Shell and Gridline will collaborate on providing integrated data solutions that enhance fleet operations. Furthermore, a non-exclusive referral agreement between the two companies will open new revenue streams by offering Shell clients access to Gridline’s telematics services.”
🛳 Nokia Supplies Private Wireless to Maersk's Fleet for Real-Time Cargo Tracking. “Nokia NOK 0.00%↑ has announced that it has signed a contract with Maersk to equip 450 vessels in its fleet with Nokia's private wireless network solutions. The deployment is part of Maersk's IoT connectivity platform, OneWireless, which offers real-time cargo tracking.”
💲 Canadian Giant Strikes Deal for Listed Telematics and Data Insight Provider. “Brillian UK, a company within the Omegro portfolio and wholly-owned, indirectly, by Constellation Software, has struck a deal for Coleshill-headquartered Trakm8 Holdings. Under the terms of the acquisition, each Trakm8 shareholder will be entitled to receive 9.5 pence in cash for each share. Trakm8's directors intend to recommend unanimously that shareholders vote in favour of the deal.”
🚍 Fullbay Boosts GPS Tracking Capabilities for Users. “Fullbay has announced integrations with new partners Motive, Azuga and Linxup to enhance the company’s GPS tracking features. These partners join Fullbay’s existing lineup of GPS tracking integrations, which includes Samsara IOT 0.00%↑, Geotab, US Fleet Tracking and GPS Trackit.”
🚚 Roadzen Partners with One of the World’s Largest Telematics Providers. “Roadzen RDZN 0.00%↑ said its UK-based subsidiary, Global Insurance Management Limited has partnered with one of the world’s largest telematics providers to deliver an integrated, technology-led vehicle protection solution for the UK automotive retail and finance markets.”
📌 Samsara Announces Upgrade Program. “Samsara IOT 0.00%↑ has announced its new Upgrade for Smarter Operations program in the United States and Canada markets.
🚌 TELUS and Fillip Fleet Partner to Offer Fleet Management with Visa-Powered Connected Vehicle and Payment Solutions. “ELUS has partnered with Fillip Fleet to launch a fleet management solution in Canada. Bringing together TELUS' Connected Fleet, Telematics & Assets technology alongside Fillip's payment platform powered by Visa.”
🚛 Webfleet Launches AI-Powered Video Telematics Solution. “Webfleet, Bridgestone’s fleet management solution in South Africa, has launched Webfleet Video 2.0, an AI-powered solution.”
Financial:
✔ Trimble Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong ARR Growth and Strategic AI Initiatives.
✔ Uber Announces Results for First Quarter 2025.
✔ SiTime Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results.
✔ STMicroelectronics Announces Status of Common Share Repurchase Program.
💰 Spire Files For Common Stock Offering Of Up To $123.6 Million - SEC Filing.
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Weekly Product News
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SpacePNT Joins European Space Agency’s GENESIS Mission to Advance Satellite Navigation Technology
SpacePNT has announced its participation in the European Space Agency’s GENESIS mission, contributing its next-generation GNSS receiver technology to help improve satellite-based navigation accuracy. The Luxembourg-based company’s GNSS receiver will be integrated into the satellite payload to evaluate performance enhancements in real space environments.
GENESIS aims to enhance geodetic measurements that underpin critical infrastructure and Earth observation systems across Europe. The mission is expected to launch later in 2025 as part of ESA’s efforts to strengthen European space autonomy and innovation.
Contact: SpacePNT, www.spacepnt.com.
Inertial Labs Unveils High-Performance Inertial Measurement Unit
Inertial Labs, a VIAVI Solutions VIAV 0.00%↑ company, has introduced the IMU-H100, a new micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial measurement unit (IMU). The tactical-grade IMU is designed to enhance guidance and navigation for unmanned aerial vehicles, short-range missiles, and commercial applications, the company said.
Inertial Labs says the compact and lightweight IMU-H100 exceeds the performance of comparable products in data rate, measurement range, stability, and environmental resilience. The ITAR-free IMU-H100 is manufactured in the United States.
Contact: Emma Jenkins, for Inertial Labs, (415) 800-4529, emma@grandbridges.com, www.viavisolutions.com.
Boxlight, Raptor Integrate Silent Alerts for School Communication
Boxlight BOXL 0.00%↑ and Raptor Technologies have partnered to integrate Raptor Alert, a silent panic alert system, with Boxlight's ATTENTION! communication platform for schools. This integration allows staff to trigger location-specific visual and audio alerts across campuses during emergencies. The combined system aims to provide fast, targeted communication to students, staff, and emergency personnel, enhancing safety and response coordination, the company said.
Contact: Boxlight, (360) 464-2119 ext. 254, marketing@boxlight.com, www.boxlight.com.
SiTime Unveils Mobile Clock Generator to Boost Wireless Connectivity in Smartphones
SiTime Corporation has introduced the Symphonic Mobile Clock, a precision timing chip designed to enhance wireless performance and energy efficiency in 5G and Wi-Fi smartphones. The new chip, which integrates multiple timing components into a single device, enables improved data throughput, longer battery life, and better connectivity in high-performance mobile applications.
SiTime says the Symphonic chip will debut in flagship Android smartphones in the second half of 2025. The innovation aims to meet growing demand for advanced wireless experiences as mobile devices continue to evolve.
Contact: Simone Souza, SiTime, (650) 888-9637, ssouza@sitime.com, www.sitime.com.
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Cyberlux and OKSI Collaborate to Enhance UAS Operations in GPS- and RF-Denied Environments
Cyberlux Corporation and Optical Knowledge Systems have partnered to develop advanced unmanned aerial system (UAS) capabilities for operating in environments where GPS and radio frequency signals are compromised. The collaboration focuses on integrating autonomy and imaging technologies into the Cyberlux FAST system to enable resilient navigation and situational awareness. The companies plan to demonstrate the enhanced UAS capabilities in upcoming field tests supporting U.S. defense operations.
Contact: Cyberlux, (984) 363-6894, ir_cybl@cyberlux.com.
AeroVironment Unveils 'Red Dragon' Autonomous UAS for GPS-Denied Missions
AeroVironment AVAV 0.00%↑ has introduced Red Dragon, a fully autonomous, one-way attack unmanned aircraft system (UAS) designed to operate in GPS- and communication-denied environments. The system leverages advanced autonomy and artificial intelligence to perform dynamic targeting without external navigation support, the company said.
Red Dragon is built to address modern battlefield challenges where traditional positioning and communication tools are unreliable or jammed, the company said. Anduril says the system represents a new generation of cost-effective, scalable loitering munitions for defense applications.
Contact: René Bardorf, AeroVironment, (703) 418-2828, pr@avinc.com.
SuperCom Awarded Canadian Electronic Monitoring Contract
SuperCom SPCB 0.00%↑, a global provider of e-government and safety solutions, announced the signing of a new contract with a Canadian electronic monitoring service provider. The agreement signifies further expansion for SuperCom in the North American market. The company will provide its electronic monitoring technologies and services under the terms of the contract. "Since mid-2024, we've secured over 20 new electronic monitoring contracts in the U.S. and expanded into 8 new states, including Arizona, Kentucky, and Utah,” said Ordan Trabelsi, SuperCom president and CEO.
Contact: SuperCom, ir@supercom.com, www.supercom.com.
TraknProtect Launches USB Gateway for Enhanced IoT Connectivity
TraknProtect has introduced a new USB Gateway designed to improve workplace safety and operational efficiency through enhanced IoT connectivity. The device facilitates communication between multiple devices and TraknProtect's cloud platform, offering advanced security and asset tracking capabilities, the company said.
Key features include plug-and-play simplicity, advanced security protocols, and offline data storage, the company said. The company aims for the gateway to be used in hospitality and other industries.
Contact: Parminder Batra, TraknProtect, (773) 850-1911, marketing@traknprotect.com, www.traknprotect.com.
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Uber Expands Robotaxi Service to Compete with Waymo
Uber UBER 0.00%↑ has expanded its partnership with WeRide WRD 0.00%↑ to expand robotaxis in 15 cities, which were unnamed, over the next five years. The companies, in their original strategic partnership, launched robotaxis in Abu Dhabi.
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