5GAA and GCF announce collaboration on the certification and testing of C-V2X technologies

GCF certification programme addresses market needs for LTE-based V2V and V2X communications technologies.

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) and Global Certification Forum (GCF) have agreed a collaborative framework under which they will combine their resources and expertise to accelerate the global introduction of Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) products. The new partnership aims to address the current gap in certification capabilities and processes, thereby harmonizing C-V2X at a global level and reducing the time-to-market of C-V2X products.

C-V2X is set to become a disruptive forward-looking force in the automotive market, providing the platform which will enable vehicles to communicate with each other and with everything around them. Originally defined as LTE V2X in 3GPP Release 14, C-V2X provides one solution for integrated V2V, V2I and V2P and V2N operation. The shorter-range V2V, V2I and V2P modes support direct communication without necessarily relying on network involvement for scheduling, whilst the longer range V2N mode will deliver network assistance and commercial services requiring the involvement of a Mobile Network Operator (MNO). The data throughputs and latencies provided by 5G are critical to the performance of autonomous vehicle applications and hence C-V2X is designed to be fully compatible with 5G technologies.

With the C-V2X specifications due to be finalised in 3GPP Release 16, car manufacturers and their suppliers in the key markets of the USA, Asia and Europe have been working on products which will come to market in 2019.

“We are extremely pleased to partner with GCF as a further step towards safe and successful C-V2X deployment,” said Maxime Flament, CTO at 5GAA. “This aligns perfectly with our mission to accelerate the global deployment of intelligent transport and communications solutions and make transportation of the future safer and more reliable.”

“As always, with the introduction of new and disruptive technology, standards and certification are critical to ensuring successful deployment,” said Lars Nielsen, General Manager at GCF. “Our partnership with 5GAA means that together we are achieving the evolution into 5G with a proven success factor for self-driving and connected vehicles.”

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global, cross-industry organisation bridging the gap between automotive, technology and telecom industries, promoting the C-V2X technology (Cellular vehicle-to-everything) as a comprehensive platform for connected vehicles, safety and transportation. With 110 members, the organisation is committed to helping define and develop the next generation of connected mobility and automated vehicle solutions.

The GCF certification scheme has been running since 1999 and has constantly evolved in alignment with developments in mobile technologies and the changing needs of the industry. GCF’s certification portfolio already covers LTE sidelink, a key technology for automotive applications, supporting vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) use cases, and GCF is therefore the natural partner for 5GAA on C-V2X certification.

The framework agreed by the two organisations will enable 5GAA and GCF to work together to ensure the certification needs of the C-V2X industry are identified and prioritised and that test cases and associated capabilities are developed in-line with the needs of this rapidly emerging market.

For more information on GCF see: https://www.globalcertificationforum.org