Europe needs a harmonized, future-proof regulatory approach that stimulates innovation and recognizes the industrial timeline and evolutionary path of technologies, conducive of European competitiveness and fostering the development of innovative business models. Innovation through C-V2X technology and sustainability-related opportunities for connected mobility were at the heart of the “5G: Connected Mobility in the Digital Age” conference hosted by the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA).   

BRUSSELS (BELGIUM), 29 September 2021 – The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) organized a conference bringing together EU representatives, public authorities, and the connected automotive ecosystem to the heart of Europe at its latest event, 5G: Connected Mobility in the Digital Age. Main objective? Discuss the ongoing challenges and opportunities brought about by the digitalization of road transport on the continent.  

From the latest state-of-play and capabilities of Cellular-Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) to the EU regulatory framework and the importance of the 5G roll-out, the 5GAA-branded conference emphasized the ongoing momentum of the technology in Europe as it supports more and more advanced use cases to ensure safer roads and achieve lower emissions globally.  

“When applied to the automotive field, 5G will have the most revolutionary impact by saving millions of lives and reducing accidents on European roads”, 5GAA CTO Maxime Flament said. “The combination of long-range and short-range connectivity C-V2X offers, delivers the optimal setup for safety and efficiency of traffic, in addition to improving environmental footprints. We believe the European Union can achieve its Green Deal climate targets for 2050, if only it boosts the digitalization of its roads – landing a rapid and efficient deployment of 5G along road networks.” 

Starting today with LTE-V2X technology, 5G-V2X is paving the way for fully connected and automated mobility. Vehicles and infrastructure can exchange relevant information via LTE-V2X through direct communication mode (not requiring network coverage) or mobile network communications mode, creating a real-time connection between all road users. Many automotive services can be supported by the current global cellular standard LTE-4G, seen as an essential foundation for further progress. As a combination of LTE-V2X and 5G NR, 5G-V2X will enable more advanced connected mobility services and offer a clear path to automated driving – while maintaining service-level interoperability with pre-existing LTE-V2X vehicles. It is thus of utmost importance that the revised Intelligent Transport Systems framework encompasses this tech evolution for Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) for Europe.  

Connected vehicles must reach a critical mass to impact emissions reduction significantly. The Association reiterated that establishing an innovative and investment-friendly regulatory framework that remains technology-neutral will boost Europe’s competitiveness and the number of connected vehicles on the road. As such, a seamless interaction among all stakeholders involved will be pivotal for road operators and public authorities across Europe to meet their policy objectives and enable a smooth service experience across all value-chains – to ensure a smooth 5G roll-out and robust ecosystem cooperation in the global evolving transport ecosystem. 

“Our Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy sets out milestones for the transformation of our transport system – and Cooperative, Connected, and Automated Mobility will play a key role: by 2030, we expect automation to be deployed at a large scale” stated Commissioner Vălean. “Automation will be a driver to help make 100 European cities climate-neutral by the same date.  And we have another important milestone to reach: by 2050, the fatalities for all modes of transport in the EU should be close to zero. Automated mobility is expected to contribute immensely here. My expectations are high, but so is the potential!” 

Indeed, the Association had the pleasure to have European Commissioner for Transport Adina-Ioana Vălean open the conference and address the attendees. The event welcomed high-level representatives such as Daniel Mes, Cabinet of Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans, Charlotte Nørlund-Matthiessen, Cabinet of Commissioner for Transport Adina-Ioana Vălean, Member of European Parliament Henna Virkkunen, Peter Stuckmann, DG CONNECT Head of Unit Future Connectivity Systems, the European Cyclists’ Federation (Jill Warren, Chief Executive Office), Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic (Ana Isabel Blanco Bergareche, Associated Deputy Director), the City of Turin (Nicola Farronato, Head of Innovation) and the Swedish Transport Administration (Hamid Zarghampour, Chief Strategist Connected and Automated Transports). It also witnessed a strong ecosystem presence, with speakers from 5GAA members BMW, Stellantis, Volvo Cars, Ford, HERE Technologies, Telefonica, TIM and Huawei. 

 

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is glad to announce its participation to the Global Certification Forum (GCF) webinar “C-V2X Certification and the Roadmap to Connected Mobility” on 6^th October 2021, at 4 pm CEST.

The event will bring together industry experts from vehicle manufacturers, equipment vendors, test houses and certification authorities to discuss why certification is key to the effective rollout of C-V2X systems and how it can be implemented successfully now.

Maxime Flament, 5GAA Chief Technology Officer, will hold a session to disclose the current standard landscape and the global market opportunities for connected vehicles. Moreover, he will join a panel discussion on the GCF’s C-V2X certification programme and how it will benefit several actors of the connectivity ecosystem.

High-speed wireless communications between vehicles and infrastructures, especially cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communications, are crucial for the development of autonomous vehicles. Proven interoperability between C-V2X devices is essential to ensure the safety and reliability of such systems.

Since 2019, 5GAA and GCF have been collaborating to investigate the principles and framework for a certification programme – designed specifically for C-V2X technologies. A few months ago, the two partners went one step further by signing a new agreement on a programme that will support the drive for interoperability, reliability, and safety of emerging cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) systems. A programme that will enable manufacturers to certify their C-V2X capable products – including onboard units (OBU) and roadside units (RSU) – for C-V2X PC5 Mode 4 functionality, thus providing a trusted foundation for C-V2X applications globally.

Join the webinar to discover more about the progress to the full interoperability, reliability and safety of emerging C-V2X systems.

More information and agenda of the event here.

Registration here.

The rising demand for connected vehicles as well as the ongoing deployment of vehicle-to-vehicle communication has shown that a unified measurement procedure for the communication subsystem antenna can add benefits for the development of vehicular communication systems. A unified measurement procedure for vehicular antennas (antennas permanently mounted on vehicles) will also ensure conformity assessments of the various regional standards are handled transparently.

5GAA, as an alliance connecting the automotive and telecom domains, developed a methodology to test vehicular antennas for communication and associated aspects (e.g. GNSS). Such a methodology can act as a commonly agreed test procedure for antenna communication subsystems. It is also expected to improve the accuracy of conformity assurance procedures for such vehicular systems.

Read the full report, here.

The newly announced programme will provide trusted foundation for C-V2X applications globally.

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) and the Global Certification Forum (GCF) have agreed on a new programme that will support the drive for interoperability, reliability, and safety of emerging cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) systems.

C-V2X – which allows direct wireless communication between vehicles, and between vehicles and the infrastructures on the roadways – is an essential enabler for a safer and more efficient intelligent transportation system. It therefore requires a certification process to ensure compliance with global standards and to provide reliability to manufacturers and users alike.

The newly established programme will enable manufacturers to certify their C-V2X capable products – including onboard units (OBU) and roadside units (RSU) – for C-V2X PC5 Mode 4 functionality.

Many actors of the C-V2X ecosystem will be able to benefit from the new programme. Tier 1 manufacturers of OBUs and RSUs can ensure their products are interoperable with each other in terms of V2V functionality; vehicle manufacturers can rely on intelligent connectivity within automobiles; and insurance companies will have the opportunity to monitor for safe driving practices. Municipal traffic authorities will also be able to trust in the potential of products to operate over their infrastructure, maintaining traffic flows, and all road users – including cyclists and pedestrians, as well as drivers – can look forward to the safer roads promised by intelligent mobility.

GCF’s certification scheme has been evolving since 1999 in alignment with developments in the wireless communication industry. This result stems from the collaboration 5GAA and GFC have reinforced since 2019, to investigate the principles and framework for a certification programme – designed specifically for C-V2X technologies.

This represents the first part of a multiphase certification programme that will evolve from radio layer certification of PC5 Mode 4 (V2V and V2I) to LTE and 5G-NR based V2X-Uu (V2N) using the 4G and 5G cellular network for communications, taking advantage of the increased functionality and performance that 5G brings.

For more information and to register your interest in the new GCF C-V2X certification programme, click here.

Read the press release here.

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) – with the engagement of EU representatives and stakeholders of the C-2VX ecosystem – has discussed the latest developments, opportunities, and challenges presented by connected mobility and 5G-V2X technology at the Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2021.

BARCELONA, 28 June 2021 – The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) presented the latest global deployments of ‘Cellular Vehicle to everything’ (C-2VX) and 5G technologies at GSMA’s Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2021. The conference offered an overview on the broad-scale improvements that connected mobility can bring to the global automotive system, highlighting the benefits the technology brings in Europe and beyond. 

The association disclosed the last global updates of 5G-V2X technology which will enable real-time connection between vehicles and their surroundings – starting today with LTE-V2X technology. 5G-powered vehicles are expected to hit the European market this year, as 5GAA members are leading C-V2X deployment through network based, direct communications on the continent. Technological progress supports more advanced use cases and the combination of long-range and short-range connectivity will grant the optimal setup for safety and efficiency of traffic.

“In the next two to three years, our association expects to see mass deployment of vehicle-to everything (V2X) use cases geared towards improving traffic efficiency and road safety around the world”, said 5GAA Director-General Johannes Springer. From 2024 onwards, 5GAA further anticipates the large-scale introduction of advanced safety and automated driving use cases supported by C-V2X. 5GAA supports the ecosystem by identifying these required use cases and services which are expected to be enabled by 5G-V2X in the coming decade. This enables European stakeholders to engage and collaborate in order to scale up V2X services and deliver societal benefits.

5GAA also underlined the strong need for a harmonised regulatory approach that will stimulate innovative business models and grant European competitiveness. The association favours a technology-neutral regulatory framework that will be focused on service delivery and will foster market-led innovation. Only an enabling and future-proof regulatory environment, conducive to C-V2X rapid deployment by OEMs and road authorities, will improve road safety and reach climate-neutrality.

The association highlighted 5G-powered vehicles are already commercialized in China. However, there are some relevant improvements in C-V2X implementation and 5G accessibility on roads in Europe. Many cities and road operators are starting to offer internet interfaces with real-time traffic information such as red light space, slippery roads and even wrong-way-drivers warning.

For one, Dieter Hötzer – Vice President Automated Driving Systems at Bosch – illustrated the Wrong Way Driver Solution developed by the 5GAA member company, as a clear example of technology that greatly impacts road safety. The software needs a GPS signal transferred to a cloud system that alerts drivers going the wrong way and warns other vehicles in the danger zone, sending out almost instant push notifications.

5G provides a revolutionary impact on the automotive system bringing several benefits and it is the result of a steady technology evolution. While it improves traffic efficiency minimising travel times and traffic jams, it also increases road safety by reducing road fatalities.

“Ensuring rapid and efficient deployment of 5G along broad networks is critically important to the future of mobility and will result in numerous safety benefits” concluded Springer.

Edge Computing is an important topic in Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) use cases, as many such cases ultimately require guarantees of low latency and high reliability. The use cases involve a large amount of regional data which needs to be processed and dispatched locally instead of being uploaded over the internet to its cloud services which, at scale, becomes time- and cost-intensive without generating much-added value. The present document includes architecture and deployment models in the event that Edge Computing is used for these V2X use cases and also describes how interoperability and service continuity can be solved.

Read the full technical report

After last year’s cancellation, 5GAA is happy to bring again a Partner Programme to MWC Shanghai 2021 on Wednesday, 24 February, 9.30 AM-12.30 PM (CST).

Smart mobility technology is already here. C-V2X technology now allows connected vehicles to communicate with the cloud, directly with each other and with their surroundings. Thanks to 4G LTE cellular technology, as well as the emerging 5th generation of high speed and low latency communications, 5G, traffic will be optimised, and emissions will be reduced. Prominent members  will update you on how C-V2X fuels the automotive connected revolution, with a comprehensive overview of its latest development in China including the valuable perspective of Chinese regulators.

Further information will be shared shortly!

Find all the latest information about our programme

Register Now

 

On 24 November, Euractiv hosted a debate to assess and discuss the benefits of C-V2X deployment in terms of emission reduction by 2050 in Europe.

TNO, a not-for-profit Dutch research institute, presented new research related to traffic efficiency, and the specific C-V2X functionalities that offer the biggest emission reductions and therefore a contribution to the EU’s climate goals ahead of the comprehensive Strategy for a Sustainable and Smart Mobility (part of the European Green Deal).

The Strategy proposes to match measures to the “ambition to achieve the 90% reduction in emissions by 2050” leveraging “digitalisation and automation, enhancing connectivity to the next level and last, but not least, it will ensure safety and accessibility”.

Read the Study

Watch the highlights

Watch the full event

On 24 November, Euractiv hosted a debate to assess and discuss the benefits of C-V2X deployment in terms of emission reduction by 2050 in Europe.

TNO, a not-for-profit Dutch research institute, presented new research related to traffic efficiency, and the specific C-V2X functionalities that offer the biggest emission reductions and therefore a contribution to the EU’s climate goals ahead of the comprehensive Strategy for a Sustainable and Smart Mobility (part of the European Green Deal).

The Strategy proposes to match measures to the “ambition to achieve the 90% reduction in emissions by 2050” leveraging “digitalisation and automation, enhancing connectivity to the next level and last, but not least, it will ensure safety and accessibility”.

Read the Study

Watch the highlights

Watch the full event

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is proud to announce the publication of the 5G Strategic Deployment Agenda for Connected and Automated Mobility in Europe (EU 5G SDA for CAM), by the 5G Infrastructure Public Private Partnership (5G PPP), a joint European Commission and European ICT industry initiative.  

5GAA was among the key contributors to this document which outlines the shared view of a industry and public stakeholders, including other relevant European associations (ACEA, CEDR and GSMA) and experts of the three 5G corridors trial projects, based on eight common principles to stimulate investment in 5G-ecosystems in the field of Connected and Automated Mobility: 

1. Deployment of the 5G infrastructure for CAM should follow an evolutionary path to cope with future market developments and technological progress. 
2. The infrastructure should aim at providing boundless connectivity with continuity of service across borders, Mobile Network Operators, vendors/OEMs, as well as traffic managers, road operators and service providers.
3. The CAM infrastructure, including vehicles and road equipment, needs to have a very high level of cybersecurity.
4. The 5G infrastructure for CAM will need to be a multi-service/multi-application platform using standardised specifications and/or data interfaces.
5. The deployment of 5G infrastructure for CAM in Europe should be extensively coordinated with public and private actors in charge of delivering V2X services. 
6. Road operators, road authorities and mobile network operators should collaborate to create synergies for connectivity deployment along CAM corridors.
7. It is a necessity to deliver future networks innovatively and with optimal economics.
8. The digital transformation of industry verticals must be accelerated.
9. As recognised by the European Commission, 5G is a critical enabler of future mobility solutions and its deployment in transport, including both network and direct communication modes, is a European public policy priority. To that end a strategic partnership with road and transportation stakeholders is critical to fully address society’s connected mobility and road safety needs, as per 5GAA mission and the European Commission’s objectives. 

To accelerate the infrastructure rollout, the stakeholders recognised several key drivers, such as the need for appropriate cooperation models to enable the initial deployment of 5G highways corridors, stabilising the technology roadmap through standardisation, ensuring a high level of cybersecurity, regulatory innovation, data access and data sharing, harmonisation of spectrum, and coordination of deployment initiatives. 

Read the full document here