Bringing Connected Vehicle Communications (V2X) to Shared Spectrum

To meet the needs of connected vehicles, the wireless devices deployed in vehicles and on roadside infrastructure may need access to more spectrum than is allocated today. This paper proposes a new approach that would allow connected vehicle devices using C-V2X technology (and successors such as NR-V2X) to share spectrum with Wi-Fi and other kinds of unlicensed devices, thereby gaining access to additional spectrum. The proposed approach requires no change in Wi-Fi technology, and only modest changes in C-V2X. Simulation results show that it is possible to protect the quality of service of both C-V2X and Wi-Fi communications, while employing sharing that greatly improves spectrum efficiency. This paper describes steps that spectrum regulators such as the Federal Communications Commission and standards bodies such as IEEE 802.11 and 3GPP could take to advance this spectrum-sharing approach. One place this approach could be used is adjacent to the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) band, where it could help meet the spectrum needs of both connected vehicles and Wi-Fi 6.