NextNav Cleared for More Coexistence Tests
Stakeholders think the FCC is nearing a notice of proposed rulemaking related to PNT systems.
WASHINGTON, April 17, 2026 – NextNav has federal approval to do more field tests of its proposed 5G GPS backup.
The Federal Communications Commission cleared the company on Thursday to begin another round of tests in Pueblo, Colo. to gauge how well NextNav’s proposed system could coexist with a railroad company’s automatic equipment identification (AEI) systems.
NextNav was approved in December for similar coexistence testing with eight 5G radios placed throughout San Jose Calif.
The Colorado tests are cleared until Oct. 1, 2026. The approval was first flagged by Mike Dano, Ookla’s lead industry analyst, in an X post Friday.
“The purpose of the experiment is for NextNav and [railroad company] MxV to validate coexistence between NextNav’s proposed 5G operations and the licensed operations of railroad AEI systems,” the company wrote in its application. “Testing will be narrowly focused, geographically remote, and time limited.”
The geolocation company is asking the FCC to alter the 902-928 MegaHertz (MHz) band to give the company 15 megahertz to support a terrestrial GPS backup and 5G broadband. It’s already one of the main license holders.
It’s become a fierce lobbying battle, with other users of the band almost uniformly opposed to NextNav’s plan because of interference concerns. Other 900 MHz band occupants include railroads and utilities, toll operators, municipalities, and security systems.
Both sides have submitted multiple technical analyses purporting to support their position and continue to argue their cases. The FCC first sought comment on NextNav’s request in August 2024, but just this month NextNav, the aviation industry, an alarm industry group, and the Utilities Technology Council have submitted filings or met directly with agency staff on the issue.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which manages federal spectrum use, had told the FCC last year that it should grant NextNav a license for field testing before initiating a rulemaking on the company’s idea. NTIA said the Department of Transportation shared tolling industry concerns.
In addition to seeking comment on NextNav’s plan, the agency sought input in March 2025 on general ideas for a GPS backup system, something the agency said is necessary for security reasons. That inquiry noted NextNav’s plan but said the agency was also interested in satellite- or broadcast TV-based solutions.
Nearing an NPRM?
A March FCC submission to the Office of Management and Budget has stakeholders thinking the agency is nearing another notice of proposed rulemaking related to position, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems. NextNav and its opponents are at odds over what the proposal should seek input on.
“After four rounds of public comment dominated by opposition to NextNav, the FCC is no longer operating on a clean slate. With more than 18 months of engineering studies and economic analyses, near unanimous opposition persists,” wrote nearly a dozen groups, including E-ZPass Group and the Wi-Fi Alliance, in a joint filing last month. “An NPRM on complementary PNT systems should move forward without the distraction of the NextNav proposal.”
NextNav maintained that its submitted studies had shown its system could coexist with current users in the 900 MHz band. The company said if the agency had additional technical questions they could be worked out through the NPRM.
“The Commission should reject some parties’ recent calls to set aside NextNav’s 5G-based 3D PNT solution and to forgo consideration of how to optimize the Lower 900 MHz band as part of its rulemaking on PNT technologies and solutions,” the company wrote. “Any remaining technical questions can be fully addressed as part of the NPRM process.”
As of Friday afternoon, NextNav stock was up more than 50 percent since the beginning of the week.
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