The 5G Automotive Association recently unveiled the revised version of its 2030 roadmap, first published two years ago. To present the key findings and main takeaways of this release, the association is organising a webinar on the “5GAA C-V2X Roadmap II: Update of 2030 industry vision for Advanced Driving Use Cases, Connectivity Technologies, and Radio Spectrum Needs”, taking place on December 15. 

The connected and smart mobility landscape has significantly changed since the 5G Automotive Association published its first 2030 roadmap two years ago. Since then, the C-ITS ecosystem has witnessed a rapid evolution and global deployment of basic safety services, use cases addressing traffic efficiency and VRU protection, and increasing market availability of C-V2X and 5G-V2X-based services and devices.  

Over this period, 5GAA has been closely looking at advanced safety and automated driving applications, and the technology readiness to turn them into a market reality. An exhaustive analysis of the regional, regulatory and technological contexts, including state-of-the-art for standardization activities, has resulted in the publication of the 5GAA C-V2X Roadmap II White Paper.  

To share this document’s main findings and highlights with the 5GAA community, the association will host a webinar on Thursday, December 15, from 2:30 to 3:30 PM (CET). Chief Technology Officer, Maxime Flament, will unveil 5GAA’s vision of the future and expected timeline for C-V2X mass deployment on the 2030 horizon, with a particular focus on advanced applications bringing on automated driving, teleoperation, automated valet parking, and sensor sharing. 5GAA’s leading contributors to the paper, Andreas Schaller (Bosch), Georg Schmitt (BMW) and Alin Stanescu (Volkswagen), will join Maxime for the Q&A session and shed light on the outcome of this Work Item.  

All 5GAA delegates are welcome to join the session and contribute to a fruitful discussion on the association’s foresight and how upcoming developments will contribute to global safety, mobility, environmental stewardship and transportation equity goals.

Watch the recording here.

Malaga, 20 October 2022 – C-V2X technology revolutionizes the mobility ecosystem and how drivers interact with the world, making smart cars a reality today. These cars communicate with their surrounding infrastructure, be it other cars or vulnerable road users, while providing a better driving experience. 5GAA is at the forefront of redefining transportation, by providing real-time, reliable, and actionable information flows to enable safety, mobility, and environmental applications.

Sixteen 5GAA members gathered in Malaga on October 20 to showcase ready-to-deploy C-V2X technology and what the future has in store for the industry and vulnerable road user protection. Prominent members and partners of the 5GAA including 5GCroCo, Anritsu, Autotalks, Commsignia, Continental, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, Keysight, Molex, Nokia, Rohde & Schwarz, Stellantis, Vodafone and Omniair demonstrated the current state of C-V2X and a wide range of applications for VRU (Vulnerable Road Users) protection, through a range of indoor and outdoor demos. The over 200 attendees included road operators, journalists from national and international media, and 5GAA delegates.

“C-V2X continues to drive the automotive transformation – and is now the new reality,” says 5GAA Chairman, Christoph Voigt. “Our key asset, the C-V2X technology, became an important part of the worldwide V2X ecosystem. The live demonstrations we have seen here, in Malaga, show us repeatedly that C-V2X is ready for a future where we can use our current infrastructure to improve protection for vulnerable road users.”

Using both direct and mobile network communications, the open-road demonstrations displayed the extensive capabilities of today’s C-V2X technology. To name a few:

• Protecting vulnerable road users and increasing the safety of cyclists on the road by alerting them of a collision
• Enabling smart intersections to enhance VRU safety by sending awareness messages to C-V2X-enabled cyclists
• Warning road users of traffic incidents between connected vehicles

The demonstrations were held at the DEKRA Test Track, a private field-testing area dedicated to connected & automated driving in Málaga, Spain. The test track reproduces multiple traffic situations using different V2X communications systems and networks, as well as traffic elements like traffic signs, traffic lights, road cones, pedestrians’ simulators that allow setting up various test cases. Located in a restricted area of 51.000 m2 (about twice the area of a parking space) with roundabouts, straight and curved roads, intersections, traffic lights and signalling, this connected & automated driving test track is a state-of-the-art facility that researches, develops, tests, and certifies the mobility of the future.

Together with our members, 5GAA has embraced digital transformation and is creating opportunities for transportation innovation. Its goal is to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility that improve traffic efficiency, driving comfort and road safety to ensure a secure and sustainable transportation ecosystem.

Brussels (BELGIUM), 11 August 2022 – The 5G Automotive Association and the 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as a result of their mutual interest in strengthening the liaison between EU-funded projects on V2X and Connected and Automated Driving (CAD) with the relevant industry players, along with their wish to ensure the successful exploitation of V2X and CAD EU-funded project results.

The 6G-IA is the voice of European Industry and Research for next-generation networks and services. Its primary objective is to contribute to Europe’s leadership on 5G, 5G evolution and SNS/6G research. This aim brings together a global industry community of telecoms and digital actors, such as operators, manufacturers, research institutes, associations, universities, verticals and SMEs. The 6G-IA carries out a wide range of activities in strategic areas, including standardisation, frequency spectrum, R&D projects, technology skills, collaboration with key vertical industry sectors —notably for the development of trials— and international cooperation. It represents the private sector in both the 5G Public Private Partnership (5G-PPP) and the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), where the European Commission represents the public side.

5GAA, on the other hand, is a global cross-industry organisation of companies from the automotive, technology, and telecommunications industries (ICT). The association’s objectives are to develop, test and promote cellular technology-based communications solutions, initiate their standardisation, and accelerate their commercial availability and global market penetration to address society’s connected mobility and road safety needs.

Under this MoU, both parties agreed to cooperate for the benefit of the connected and automated mobility sector and society as a whole.

Ubiquitous connectivity is an essential prerequisite to achieving a full-scale digital transformation of the automotive sector. Connectivity challenges and how the seamless integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial network solutions can foster high-capacity global connectivity were at the heart of the Connectivity for the Car of the Future Symposium, hosted by the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA).

Berlin (Germany), 16 May 2022. The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) and the European Space Agency discussed the crucial role of ubiquitous connectivity and the opportunities for space technologies to offer future solutions for the automotive sector during its “Connectivity for the Car of the Future Symposium.”

Today, over 200 million connected vehicles worldwide are equipped with applications sharing hazard and traffic warnings on the road. The automotive sector is undergoing a significant transformation: from a focus on vehicle performance to a focus on a fully digital, tailor-made digital experience, and customers increasingly expect a fully connected car. Ubiquitous connectivity is an essential prerequisite to achieving a full-scale digital transformation of the automotive sector. Ensuring the network’s reliability can be a challenge, particularly in rural or remote areas that still experience no or poor band coverage, and non-terrestrial networks can have a crucial role in deploying hybrid connectivity solutions for the car of the future.

To explore the connectivity challenges and how space solutions can support the car industry in connected mobility, the 5G Automotive Association organised a Symposium in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). What does the future car look like? Which connectivity and business models are needed to enable? What is the place of space in the mix? These were some of the questions addressed by industry representatives of car manufacturers, connectivity providers, mobile network operators, satellite connectivity providers and decision-makers.

Satellite connectivity can complement terrestrial solutions in white spots and in case of outages and congestion. In this sense, Europe must accelerate the development of assets and capacities in this field to compete globally, provide the appropriate solutions for the automotive sector and fill in any potential gaps. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that all the stakeholders and their respective innovative roadmaps are aligned, as highlighted by Joseph Aschbacher, Director-General of ESA, in his welcome messagefor the event. As such, the car industry will be able to make the most of cutting-edge developments in the connectivity domain.

“We are pleased to collaborate with 5GAA to promote and build the connected car ecosystem of the future. Vehicles are rapidly becoming fully connected devices and drive investments into new-generation connectivity. Satellites and space-based technologies are key assets to complete terrestrial networks, build smart and hybrid systems and offer ubiquitous, secure, and sustainable connectivity. We look forward to continuing this intense exchange with the automotive value chain to join forces and build a truly European connected car architecture,” added Elodie Viau, Director, Telecommunications and Integrated Applications Directorate, ESA.

During the Symposium, car manufacturers and tier-1 suppliers discussed the mobility-related technology innovations, opportunities, requirements, and challenges, highlighting the crucial role of ubiquitous connectivity for the automotive sector and the increasing number of use-cases already developed by the automotive industry for both private and commercial vehicles.

Including non-terrestrial connectivity in the mix will bring many benefits, such as extending high connectivity to rural areas at a comparatively low cost and enabling digital services and autonomous driving applications. However, space solutions need to be integrated with the existing terrestrial solutions, as they will not replace them. In addition, the seamless integration of antennas technology on the car, and the smooth handover between the networks, are just some of the challenges that still need to be addressed. Therefore, speakers pointed out that these solutions need to be included in the 3GPP standardisation system, which is currently the integrational connectivity path, defining the terrestrial connectivity requirements.

Finally, all the stakeholders engaged in a lively discussion to map how the whole ecosystem can work together to address the connectivity challenges and develop targeted R&D, demonstrators and pilots and expand them into mature business models and strategic partnerships. Indeed, to enable cross-border coordination and integration of terrestrial and satellite connectivity solutions, the cooperation and alignment of various players and investments will be essential. In this area, ESA aims to provide the European automotive sector with the necessary support and expertise to maximise its positive social, economic and environmental impact and develop competitive car connectivity solutions.

“Use cases and requirements are already there, and ubiquitous connectivity will enable their full-scale deployment. Satellite solutions can play a crucial role in achieving this,” concluded Johannes Springer, Director General, 5GAA. “It is crucial to ensure the greatest alignment and cooperation between all the stakeholders involved. Let’s continue working together to bring the 3GPP standards to the satellite solutions and seamlessly integrate them with the terrestrial networks to provide solutions for the car of the future.”

Below the presentations showcased during the first session of the event:

Andreas Schaller, V2X Technology Strategy, Robert Bosch Mobility Solutions

Olaf Eckart, Senior Expert Cooperations R&D, Industry Customers, BMW

Jörg Plechinger, Head of Mobile Connectivity Plattform / Car2X,  AUDI AG

Susanne Schulz, Head of Department Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility,  Autobahn GmbH

SwRI is a R&D problem solvers providing independent, premier services to government and industry clients.

The Rohde & Schwarz technology group develops, produces and markets a wide range of electronic capital goods, contributing to a safer and connected world.

Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is a multinational tyre manufacturer based in Milan, Italy and focuses on the consumer production of tyres for cars, motorcycles and bicycles.

Futurwei Technologies is dedicated to pursuing openness in Research & Development (R&D) by embracing Open Innvoation Model.

Cohda Wireless has established itself as the leading supplier of innovative Connected Vehicle solutions that enable vehicles to connect with other vehicles and intelligent infrastructure in ITS, Smart City & Mining infrastructure.

With its Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans and Daimler Mobility divisions, Daimler Group is one of the leading global suppliers of premium and luxury cars and vans.