The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) increased the amount of spectrum reserved for connected vehicles in a bid to boost development of new automotive safety features.

In a statement, the commission said by increasing the allocation from the 76GHz to 77GHz band already earmarked for the service to the entire 76GHz to 81GHz band, the US would be consistent with other countries. This, the FCC added, would avoid the need for manufacturers to customise technology for the US market.

Creating common standards and a global framework is a key concern in the development of connected vehicle applications.

Earlier this week at the RISE conference in Hong Kong, Volvo senior adviser on research and technology Torbjorn Holmstrom warned he “unfortunately” could not foresee a time when there would be a global standard for how to communicate between vehicles and the infrastructure.

The FCC-released spectrum will be used for radar applications including lane change warnings, blind spot detection, parking features, autonomous braking and pedestrian detection technology. It will also be made available for aircraft taxiing around airports.

“Vehicular radar systems can improve our driving experience and help our families stay safe,” FCC chairman Ajit Pai (pictured) said, adding: “Access to this contiguous block of spectrum will allow for new innovations and the expansion of potentially life-saving vehicular radar technologies.”