The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted Nov. 18 to redeploy airwaves assigned 21 years ago for a vehicle safety system that hasn’t come to fruition, rejecting carmakers’ efforts to hold onto the frequencies. With its vote, FCC opened the way for billions of Wi-Fi devices to use frequencies once destined for a safety system to be used by vehicles linked to roadside gadgets. The change follows years of lobbying by carmakers such as Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. to retain their exclusive hold on the rich airwaves swath. Among the stakeholders that were pushing back on FCC’s proposal were transportation leaders on Capitol Hill and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

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