NextNav to Test 5G GPS Backup in San Jose

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2025 – Geolocation company NextNav is planning to test its proposed 5G GPS backup system in California, the company announced Thursday.

After securing an experimental license from the Federal Communications Commission on Nov. 20, the company is planning to turn the system online in the near future, potentially Thursday, and operate it through Dec. 1, 2027. The network will consist of eight 5G radios in San Jose.

The network will operate in line with NextNav’s proposal for a nationwide GPS backup, which would see the 902-928 MegaHertz (MHz) band altered to give the company 15 megahertz to support a terrestrial geolocation network and 5G broadband.

NextNav is currently one of the main license holders in the band. Other users, like local transportation authorities and tolling operators, have been almost uniformly opposed to the company’s plan, citing fears it would generate a disruptive amount of interference. 

That’s something NextNav will be hoping to refute with its test run.

“We’re incredibly pleased to continue demonstrating our technology in a real-world operational environment,” NaxtNav CEO Mariam Sorond said in a statement. “Activating this network is a critical step in our commercialization process, proving that robust 5G broadband service and high-integrity PNT can be delivered together, at scale, using standard 5G equipment.”

Under the terms of the license granted by the FCC, NextNav had to inform unlicensed 900 MHz users of its operation and provide a point of contact for any issues that need addressing.

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 in March input on general ideas for a GPS backup system, something the agency said is necessary for security reasons. That inquiry noted NextNav’s plan but also said the agency was interested in satellite- or broadcast TV-based solutions.

NextNav submitted this summer a technical analysis that it said showed its proposed network could coexist with incumbent operations and not disrupt service. It didn’t do much to assuage its opponents.

Tolling groups, an alarm system industry group, and wireless broadband providers have each been meeting with FCC staff or filing comments this month saying they still have concerns. NextNav has defended its proposal and maintained the FCC should go ahead with a rulemaking considering its plan.