Not a pilot but a PNT Technologist now (and ex FAA aircraft dispatcher)
The FCC in the US have made three big decisions recently in terms of opening up spectrum
- Opening up C-Band frequencies for 5G
- Ligado Networks allowed to repurpose L-band spectrum
- Repurposing the 5.9 GHz “safety band”
In a nutshell, decision 1) has caused the RA problems, decision 2) will cause risk to GPS services and decision 3) may put transport (automotive) safety at risk
The spectrum is congested, there is increasing demand for fast broadband access practically everywhere, so perhaps its no surprise that we are losing the safety margins that we had around some of these critical services.
But in making these decisions the FCC are putting the burden of proof firmly onto the parties that oppose the introduction of a new technology, rather than the incumbent (I provided a reference to the presentation on the legalities which was made at the recent PNT Advisory Board meeting by
Jeff Shane, IATA Representative & PNTAB Member. It's a comprehensive summary of the decision making process and the flaws in it.
Decision 2) the repurposing of the L-band spectrum is the issue I'm most involved with right now - this also has the potential to cause issues to aviation