NextNav, SIA Still at Odds on GPS Backup

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2025 – NextNav and a security industry trade group are still at odds over the geolocation company’s proposal to operate a nationwide GPS backup.

The Security Industry Association met last week with Federal Communications Commission staff, including advisers to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty, to present a study that it said showed NextNav’s proposed system would interfere with alarm systems and other devices. The group has opposed NextNav's plan before.

NextNav’s plan would call for a reorganization of the lower 900 MegaHertz (MHz) band, which comprises 902-928 MHz. The company, a significant holder of licenses in the shared band, would under its plan get 15 megahertz to support a terrestrial geolocation network and 5G broadband. Other stakeholders generally agree that some kind of GPS backup is necessary, but many have expressed concerns that unlicensed devices in the band could struggle to coexist with a higher-power 5G network.