C-ITSEU

The Delegated Act currently being drafted by the European Commission will have a significant impact on the future deployment of Cooperative Connected and Automated Mobility in Europe. It will regulate the deployment of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS), which enable the communication between vehicles, infrastructure and with other road users.

5GAA is a proponent of Cellular-Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X), a unified technology platform for connected vehicles, including connectivity to vulnerable road users and infrastructure, encompassing LTE-V2X and 5G-V2X. C-V2X technology thus offers a direct evolution path to 5G.

As illustrated below, C-V2X includes both direct short-range communication in the 5.9 GHz ITS spectrum band (not requiring network coverage or subscription) and long-range communication in licensed spectrum allocated for 4G and 5G, into a single, cost-effective platform.

While 5GAA fully shares the European Commission’s objective to “make Europe a world leader in the deployment of connected and automated mobility”[1], 5GAA is very concerned that the Delegated Act will rule out C-V2X, the most recent technology for C-ITS.

5GAA strongly advocates for a forward-looking C-ITS regulatory framework, allowing technology neutrality and evolution. The future requirements should ensure an effective, cost-beneficial and proportionate regulatory framework, as per the Commission’s Better Regulation guidelines, ultimately improving road safety, traffic efficiency and air quality, while fostering innovation.

5GAA believes that the future Delegated Act should abide in all its dimensions by the technology neutrality principle to prevent unfair market distortion. This principle should be respected in letter and spirit: requirements, standards or specifications governing the deployment of C-ITS should be non-discriminatory, avoiding any technology lock-in.

The deployment of different connectivity solutions, including C-V2X, should be allowed and embraced by the Delegated Act, on par with any other technology.

[1] “On the road to automated mobility: An EU strategy for mobility of the future” COM(2018) 283