The American Public Power Association on Oct. 6 joined a coalition of utility trade associations to express concerns to the Department of Energy regarding a petition by NextNav Inc. at the Federal Communications Commission that proposes reallocating spectrum in the lower 900 megahertz (MHz) band.
APPA joined the Edison Electric Institute, American Gas Association, American Petroleum Institute, Interstate Natural Gas Association of American, Large Public Power Council, and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in sending the letter.
In 2024, NextNav, Inc. filed a petition (WT Docket No. 24-240) with the FCC to reallocate spectrum in the lower 900 MHz band (902-928 MHz) for its terrestrial positioning, navigation, and timing network, which would operate as a backup to current global positioning systems.
Utilities and other critical infrastructure owners and operators use the lower 900 MHz band to transmit data and signals to remotely monitored equipment, such as smart meters and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (commonly referred to as SCADA) systems that are essential to maintaining operations.
Reports indicate that the Trump Administration and FCC officials are looking to move NextNav’s petition into the formal rulemaking process, APPA said.
APPA opposes reallocation of the lower 900 MHz band because of the negative operational and financial impacts of replacing communications equipment if public power utilities are forced to relocate to different spectrum bands.
The letter requests that DOE engage with FCC and other relevant federal agencies to ensure that any impacts from reallocation of lower 900 MHz spectrum “are fully understood and that any spectrum reconfiguration fully protects communications systems essential to the safe and reliable operation of the nation’s energy infrastructure.”
