C-V2X Tolling in the United States
A new 5GAA White Paper examines the conditions enabling the emergence of C-V2X Tolling in the United States, its potential benefits and the challenges to wider adoption.
Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) Tolling is emerging in the United States as four conditions align: a maturing regulatory environment, a standard basis for toll-specific messaging under SAE J3217, a series of demonstrations and first deployments, and growing pressure on the spectrum environment used by legacy RFID tolling in the 902–928 MHz band.
The new 5GAA White Paper, C-V2X Tolling in the United States, explores how these developments are creating opportunities for a complementary approach to traditional toll collection. Rather than replacing existing RFID-based systems, C-V2X could augment RFID, video tolling and back-office processes through a more vehicle-centric transaction model. Vehicles could identify themselves, receive toll information in advance and confirm transactions in-vehicle, potentially helping reduce revenue leakage, roadside complexity and operational costs while improving customer experiences through greater US interoperability.
The White Paper examines two complementary C-V2X communication modes for tolling: direct communications over the 5.9 GHz spectrum, enabling low-latency exchanges between vehicles and roadside units, and mobile network-based communications, supporting infrastructure-light and virtual-zone models through wireless connectivity combined with GPS/GNSS.
Addressing the challenges to wider adoption
Interoperability and business models remain the main challenges to wider adoption. The sector needs agreement on how operator back-offices, OEM systems, account issuers and commercial settlement models interact at scale. The roles of Toll Service Providers (TSPs) and Toll Chargers (TCs), as well as the potential relevance of a hub or exchange layer, are also examined.
The proposed roadmap is evolutionary: starting with pilots and limited operational rollouts, followed by stronger testing, certification and convergence on business rules, before progressing towards scaled production and broader OEM participation.
Drawing on evidence from tolling agencies in North Carolina and Florida, associations including OmniAir, IBTTA, 5GAA and SAE, and private-sector participants such as Indra Group, Kapsch, Audi, Verizon, Ettifos, Cohda Wireless and Microsec, the White Paper provides an overview of the developments already underway in the United States.
