The aim of this study is to explore the impact of different technical solutions for Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) communication solutions on EU road safety over time. Three different communication solutions are assessed independently and consist of:

• Cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication based on the evolved LTE technology as defined by 3GPP (a global cellular specifications body), divided into two solutions:
  • LTE-PC5: Communication solution that uses direct-mode communication between vehicles, road users and infrastructure operating in ITS bands (e.g. ITS 5.9 GHz) independent of cellular network;
  • LTE-Uu (cellular): Network-based communications interface (Uu) operating in the traditional mobile broadband licensed spectrum;
• 802.11p a Wi-Fi technology that supports Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications based on IEEE 802.11p and uses direct-mode communication operating in the ITS band of 5.9 GHz.

For the purpose of this study, LTE-PC5 and LTE-Uu will be modelled separately. However, it should be noted that these would likely co-exist. When assessing the results presented in this study, it should be considered that in reality, these two technical solutions could complement each other.

A key motivation for introducing C-ITS is the major potential to help improve road safety and decrease the number, as well as the severity, of accidents. For this study we have focused on two specific C-ITS use cases with high accident reduction potential that are on the European Commission’s list of priority C-ITS services. The selected services address vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and pedestrian/cyclist to vehicle (V2P) communications:

• Red signal violation/intersection safety;
• Vulnerable Road User (VRU) protection.

The approach taken in this study separately models the penetration of new vehicles with C-ITS through built-in systems and that of additional equipment in existing vehicles through the driver’s smartphone (referred to as retrofitting).
We consider, as a baseline, the existing statistics of road traffic fatalities in the EU and then evaluate the potential reduction in the number of fatalities resulting from the deployment of each technical solution.

The modelling framework is kept in line with a previous 5GAA study and considers:

• The likelihood that any two ITS stations (vehicles, VRUs, roadside units (RSUs)) involved in a potential accident will be equipped with the same C-ITS communication solution.
• The fraction of fatalities which could be addressed and mitigated by the considered C-ITS communication solution.
• The likelihood that data transmitted from an ITS station via a given C-ITS communication solution is successfully communicated to its intended recipient.
• The effectiveness of a received alert/warning message inappropriately affecting the behaviour of the driver of a vehicle travelling towards a potential accident.

To account for the uncertainty in predicting the extent of future deployment and reliability of C-ITS technologies, we have developed “high” and “low” scenarios showing the sensitivity to key input parameters.

Main results:

The aggregated results for both use cases (without the additional benefit arising from retrofitting of C ITS services through apps on smartphones used in vehicles) illustrate that in the high scenario LTE-Uu shows the highest benefits in terms of the number of avoided fatalities and serious injuries. By 2040 the number of fatalities and serious injuries avoided through the use of the LTE-Uu solution reaches 114,066, compared to 90,380 for LTE-PC5. For the 802.11p solution, the values are significantly lower at 27,144 as VRU protection is not supported through smartphones, leading to a low level of VRU protection (where VRUs are expected be equipped with C-ITS technology through their smartphones). Research carried out for this study showed that the integration of 802.11p into smartphones is highly unlikely; thus, the penetration in smartphones for this technical solution was set to zero.

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 26, 2018 – C-V2X Communications’ Superior Performance, Synergies with Telematics Units and Evolutionary Path Towards 5G Offers Greater Potential to Save Lives; World’s First Showcase Across Vehicle Manufacturers Shows Readiness for Industry Deployment as Early as 2020.

Downloadable Resources
Photos
Infographic
Video clip 1
Video clip 2

 

5G Automotive Association (5GAA), Audi AG (NASDAQ: AUDVF), Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), announced today the world’s first demonstration for Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) direct communications technology operating across vehicles from different manufacturers. C-V2X is a global solution for V2X communications to support improved automotive safety, automated driving, and traffic efficiency, and is the only V2X technology based on globally recognized 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications with ongoing evolution designed to offer forward compatibility with 5G, and leveraging upper layer protocols defined by the automotive industry, including Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) organizations.

The demonstration showcased the benefits of using C-V2X real-time direct communications on the globally harmonized 5.9 GHz ITS spectrum for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) collision avoidance and improved road safety without any dependency on cellular operator network involvement, credentials or coverage. The organizations also unveiled initial field test results showing a significant range, reliability and performance advantage of C-V2X direct communications, with more than twice the range and improved reliability compared to 802.11p radio technology. Based on C-V2X’s potential to enhance safety and save lives, the 5GAA, Audi, Ford and Qualcomm Technologies encourage the broad automotive ecosystem to accelerate adoption of C-V2X, which is expected to be deployed as early as 2020.

Featuring Audi and Ford vehicles which incorporate the C-V2X technology utilizing the C-V2X chipset from Qualcomm Technologies, the showcase exhibited various scenarios of how C-V2X communications is beneficial for road safety.  These scenarios included situations with obstructed or no visibility, including Left Turn Assist and Emergency Electronic Brake Light use cases, in which vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications alerted surrounding vehicles when cars were turning left or braking.  Additional use cases were featured, including a vulnerable road user (VRU) demonstration showcasing what can be possible with future vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communications. Use cases for vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication were also demonstrated, which showcased how direct communications can work closely with traffic signal controllers to ensure reduction in carbon emissions and optimization of traffic efficiency in cluttered intersections and dense environments.
C-V2X is supported by a broad automotive ecosystem, that includes the fast-growing global organization 5GAA, which currently has over 80 members comprised of leading automakers, Tier-1 suppliers, software developers, mobile operators, semiconductor companies, test equipment vendors, telecom suppliers, traffic signal suppliers and road operators.

Designed with a focus on security, C-V2X benefits from established security transport layers and application protocols defined by the automotive standards communities, including SAE, ETSI, International Standards Organization (ISO), and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1609, and Qualcomm’s decades of investment in cellular technologies. C-V2X solutions are expected to be more cost efficient and economical over competing technologies as this functionality gets integrated into the base cellular modem product that automakers equip in every vehicle.

“We are excited to witness this monumental breakthrough in the evolution of C-V2X and the growing momentum behind this life-saving technology,” said Christoph Voigt, Chairman of 5GAA.  “After years of development supported by leading carmakers, technology providers and the automotive ecosystem at large, C-V2X is ready to improve road safety with deployment in production vehicles and road infrastructure as soon as 2020, leveraging a state-of-the-art proven radio with decade-long developed automotive software protocols. This unique showcase firstly demonstrates the commitment of our members to ensure that the potential of the C-V2X technology is realized and represents a key step towards the next generation of cellular technology, 5G.”

“C-V2X is critical to enhance road safety and also gives us a look into the key role that vehicle-to-vehicle and 5G wireless technologies play in the future of Audi and the automotive industry in general to support autonomous driving,” said Gerhard Stanzl, Head of Predevelopment Smart Mobility and Machine Learning, Audi Electronics Venture. “This interoperability demonstration marks a major milestone on the road to safer driving and we look forward to working alongside the extensive automotive ecosystem in helping accelerate C-V2X deployment globally.”

“With its ability to safely and securely connect vehicles, along with its evolution into 5G, C-V2X is integral to Ford’s vision for transportation and the cities of the future in which all cars and infrastructure collaborate speaking the same language,” said Don Butler, Executive director connected vehicle platform and product, Ford Motor Company. “We are very encouraged by preliminary test results which support our belief that C-V2X has superior V2X communication capabilities. We are also very pleased to see strong ecosystem support of product roadmaps that accelerates time to market for C-V2X.”

“At Qualcomm Technologies, we are committed to accelerating automotive innovation and enabling carmakers to deliver safe and connected vehicles, and we strongly believe that C-V2X can offer significant improvements in road safety for people worldwide,” said Nakul Duggal, vice president of product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “After years spearheading the development of C-V2X we are ready for its rollout in collaboration with leading automakers such as Audi and Ford, and the larger auto industry.”

5GAA, Audi, Ford and Qualcomm Technologies are scheduled to showcase another live C-V2X interoperability demonstration at the upcoming Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS-A) World Meeting in Detroit from June 4-7. Initial test results showing significant lifesaving benefits of C-V2X direct communications compared against the 802.11p solution can be found here. For more information on C-V2X please visit here.

About 5GAA
The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global cross-industry organization of companies from the automotive, technology and telecommunications industries (ICT), working together to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility and transportation services. Created in 2016, the Association is comprised of over 80 members whose mission is to develop, test and promote communications solutions, initiate their standardization and accelerate their commercial availability and global market penetration, to address society’s connected mobility and road safety needs with applications such as automated driving, ubiquitous access to services and integration into smart city and intelligent transportation. For more information, visit 5GAA’s LinkedIn and Twitter pages.

About Audi
The Audi Group, with its brands Audi, Ducati and Lamborghini, is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the premium segment. It is present in more than 100 markets worldwide and produces at 16 locations in twelve countries. 100 percent subsidiaries of AUDI AG include Audi Sport GmbH (Neckarsulm), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. (Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy) and Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy).

In 2017, the Audi Group delivered to customers about 1.878 million automobiles of the Audi brand, 3,815 sports cars of the Lamborghini brand and 55,900 motorcycles of the Ducati brand. In the 2017 fiscal year, AUDI AG achieved total revenue of €60.1 billion and an operating profit of €5.1 billion. At present, approximately 90,000 people work for the company all over the world, more than 60,000 of them in Germany. Audi focuses on sustainable products and technologies for the future of mobility.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 202,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit https://www.corporate.ford.com.

About Qualcomm
Qualcomm invents breakthrough technologies that transform how the world connects and communicates. When we connected the phone to the Internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our inventions are the foundation for life-changing products, experiences, and industries. As we lead the world to 5G, we envision this next big change in cellular technology spurring a new era of intelligent, connected devices and enabling new opportunities in connected cars, remote delivery of health care services, and the IoT – including smart cities, smart homes, and wearables. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including, the QCT semiconductor business. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

Media contact:
Lisa Boch-Andersen
Senior Director, Strategic Communication and Marketing, 5GAA
Email: lisa.boch-andersen@5GAA.org / Mobile phone: +32(0)475450972

April 17, Brussels, Belgium – Dr. Flament will help advance the 5GAA mission of developing the framework to support next-generation connected mobility solutions

Since its creation in September 2016, 5GAA has benefited from an accelerated growth including key players with a global footprint in the automotive, technology and telecommunications industries. 5GAA now represents more than 80 members and is globally recognised as a driving force towards the deployment of the C-V2X technology and the future 5G network. This is the right time to bring in a CTO to support 5GAA’s global position. Dr. Flament’s starting date is April 22^nd.

Dr. Flament comes from ERTICO – ITS Europe, the European association promoting research and deployment on Intelligent Transportation Systems. For more than a decade, he has been a leading contributor to many European activities on road safety, connected vehicles, automated driving, large-scale pilots, and digital mapping. In his latest role as Head of Department for Connected & Automated Driving (CAD), he worked with the public, private and research sectors to successfully shape the European expert CAD community. His position led him to develop strong collaboration ties with US DOT and the Japan MLIT as well as governments in China, Korea, Singapore, Australia and Canada. As a telecom engineer, ITS and CAD expert, Dr. Flament is the perfect fit for the position of CTO at 5GAA. Dr. Flament’s hire as the 5GAA CTO is a pivotal moment in the associations’ progress.

5GAA Chairman, Christoph Voigt, is confident that Dr. Flament will raise the organisation to the next level:

Maxime Flament’s contribution will be threefold:  his experience and knowledge in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) will play a major role in bringing new possibilities to 5GAA. He will also broaden our collaboration with the wider mobility ecosystem. Thirdly, he will facilitate our mission to develop the next-generation of connected mobility solutions. We look forward to working in close co-operation with Maxime.

Dr. Flament is excited to join a team of experts at 5GAA:

5GAA is a growing and dynamic association with a promising path ahead. It is with great honour that I take on the challenge to serve as CTO and develop the communication technology that will connect all vehicles in the future. To do so is not a straightforward undertaking; there are numerous technical and non-technical challenges still to be addressed. This is why I am very excited to join a great team of experts involving all 5GAA members.

About 5GAA

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global cross-industry organization of companies from the automotive, technology and telecommunications industries (ICT), working together to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility and transportation services.

Created in 2016, the Association is comprised of over 75 members whose mission is to develop, test and promote communications solutions, initiate their standardisation and accelerate their commercial availability and global market penetration, to address society’s connected mobility and road safety needs with applications such as automated driving, ubiquitous access to services and integration into smart city and intelligent transportation.

Media contact:

Lisa Boch-Andersen
Senior Director, Strategic Communication and Marketing, 5GAA
Email: lisa.boch-andersen@5GAA.org / Mobile phone: +32(0)475450972

The C-V2X technology tested, validated, and commercially available in vehicles in 2020

The inclusion of cellular communication technologies (V2N – Vehicle2Network) into vehicles (i.e. “Connected Cars”) has been extremely successful, and since early deployments in the last couple of decades, we continue to see an expansion of how these technologies can deliver benefits for the vehicle, the driver, and other participants in the transportation ecosystem.

At present, the automotive manufacturing members of 5GAA operate more than 20 million Connected Cars that have the ability to connect to cellular networks (V2N). This V2N connection is used for a wide variety of application domains including telematics, infotainment, traffic optimization, as well as for safety applications like the recognition of slow or stationary vehicle(s) and warnings for such events as traffic jam ahead, road works and other traffic infrastructure related information, inclement weather conditions, emergency brake light and other hazard warnings. The current understanding, also based on the European C-ITS Platform Final Report, is that the nature of these warning messages is informational and the driver is responsible at all times.

As defined in the approved 3GPP Release 14 in June 2017, cellular networks are able to take another evolutionary step in the pathway to broaden the reach and applicability of benefits. In particular, this release addresses the challenges of delivering increased data volume, managing greater scale in connected devices, significantly reduced latency and providing higher levels of reliability. These defined attributes and an advanced architecture provide unprecedented support for the support of safety-critical communications, referred to as Cellular Vehicle to Everything (Cellular-V2X or C-V2X). In addition to such V2N enhancements, which rely on existing cellular networks, 3GPP Release-14 introduces the ability to support short-range communications between vehicles (V2V) and vehicle and road side infrastructure (V2I and I2V) without requiring any cellular network coverage.

3GPP Release 14 including C-V2X is also a key step to the next generation of cellular technology, 5G. Naturally C-V2X is already on a backwards compatible evolution path with enhancements being specified beginning with 3GPP Release 15.

The members of 5GAA are wholly committed to collaborating to ensure that the potential of the C-V2X technology is realized. This includes leading efforts to address key technical and regulatory issues, as well as integrating vehicle platforms with advanced cellular connectivity, networking and computing solutions.

It is with this cooperation, collaboration, and commitment that 5GAA members continue to work to ensure that C-V2X technology is tested, validated, and commercially available in vehicles in 2020.

 

Connected Vehicles and especially connected Autonomous Driving (AD) vehicles bring a whole new ecosystem with new requirements on the Cloud and the network architecture to support the new workloads and to satisfy the real-time service requirements. Such ecosystem includes the vehicles, the road infrastructure, the network infrastructure, and the Cloud.

Edge Computing based Vehicle-to-Cloud solutions enable edge cloud capabilities for different levels of autonomous driving, including Highly Autonomous Driving (HAD) and Fully Autonomous Driving (FAD) through providing different services for the driving process (e.g., High Definition real-time Maps, real-time traffic monitoring and alerts, and richer passengers experience), supporting vehicles on roads to drive co-operatively and to be aware of road hazards, and providing better user experience and trust to drivers and passengers.

This white paper provides an overview of automotive use cases and shows how Edge Computing provides compute/storage/networking capabilities at the network edge, and how it can be considered a supporting technology for multiple services for connected AD vehicles. The paper draws the attention to the value of Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) as a standardized solution for Edge Computing, especially important from automotive stakeholders’ point of view (while also serving other vertical market segments). In particular, from a standardization perspective, some use cases targeting fully connected cars (i.e. FAD with the maximum level of automation) have challenging requirements that may be fulfilled only with the introduction of 5G networks. Finally, this paper also illustrates the opportunities that are here already today in deploying Edge Computing to support AD, using the flagship services as examples.

Read the full paper here.

5GAA and EU policymakers discuss future of 5G for connected and automated vehicles

12 December 2017, Brussels, Belgium – The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), a cross-industry association of the telecoms and automotive industry, held a policy debate on Tuesday 5 December in Brussels to discuss the concrete actions necessary to implement 5G connected and automated vehicles in Europe. A recurring theme in Tuesday’s debate was the cohesive development and implementation of cellular “vehicle to everything” (C-V2X) technology, the technology that will enable automobiles to communicate via cellular networks to other connected devices but also the possibility of ad-hoc communication without any cellular network involvement (e.g. in case of weak coverage). Policymakers and industry face the ongoing challenge of creating a cohesive framework that enables private sector innovation while ensuring a safe and economically viable rollout of new technologies.

Attendees heard from a wide range from various European political and administrative representatives, including Eddy Hartog, EC Head of Unit Smart Mobility and Living, Attila Benedek (Adviser to István Ujhelyi MEP, rapporteur on European C-ITS Strategy), Jaime Moreno García-Cano of the Spanish traffic authority or Andreas Geiss, EC Head of Unit for Spectrum Policy. 5GAA was represented by its Secretary, Markus Dillinger of Huawei and board members, Luke Ibbetson of Vodafone, Joachim Göthel of BMW, Rainer Krumrein of Daimler, and Friedhelm Ramme of Ericsson.

The debate coincides with the Commission’s ongoing public consultation on its European Strategy on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS), which runs through January 5, 2018. C-V2X technology stands to significantly improve road safety and facilitate traffic flows in the EU. Ultimately, the benefits of this technology across the EU could save the several billion euros that are lost every year to traffic accidents and congested roadways.

Markus Dillinger, 5GAA Secretary and Member of the Executive Committee: “5GAA was founded to underscore the urgency in developing technology that makes our roads safer and smarter. Today’s debate brought together public and private sector stakeholders to discuss the capabilities of such technology as well as the acceleration of creating a regulatory framework in which the industry can work.”

During the event, analysts from Analysys Mason and SBD Automotive presented the findings of a cost-benefit analysis of implementing the C-V2X technology. The socio-economic returns of deployment of C-ITS systems may amount to EUR 43 billion by 2035 in Europe, if both C-V2X and the Wi-Fi Standard IEEE 802.11p are able to co-exist in the 5.9GHz spectrum band. The 5GAA also presented a study assessing the road safety benefits of LTE–V2X (PC-5) and IEEE 802.11p in the EU, which indicates that LTE-V2X (PC5) outperforms 802.11p in reducing fatalities and serious injuries. In addition, it demonstrates that the absence of interoperability between technologies is unlikely to present a substantive barrier to the reduction of road accidents in the short to medium term. Bill McKinley, 5GAA rapporteur on tests and trials, and Rainer Krumrein of Daimler also presented 5GAA’s perspective on C-V2X performance and future capabilities.

The event culminated in a panel discussion to discuss the right framework to accelerate the deployment of the C-ITS across Europe. Particular attention was given to short-range communications in the 5.9 GHz band and the four guiding policy principles established by the European Commission: uncompromised safety services for all users in case of multiple technologies implementation, technology neutrality of spectrum regulation, efficient spectrum use and introduction in the longer-term of 5G for the further development of cooperative, connected and automated mobility.

Luke Ibbetson, R&D Director Vodafone Group and member of 5GAA: “Both C-V2X and ITS-G5 technologies should peacefully co-exist in the 5.9 GHz band. The socio-economic and road safety studies presented at this event indicate that co-existence offers the highest net benefits for the European economy, amounting to EUR 43 billion by 2035.”

Joachim Göthel, Senior Manager Project 5G-Alliance of BMW and member of 5GAA: “C-V2X offers a strong evolution path to 5G which is absolutely essential to enable full connected and automated driving in the future, while enabling a fast roll-out for many functionalities in the very short-term, utilizing existing cellular networks.”

The presentations made during the Workshop are downloadable here below:

1. Introductory 5GAA Presentation
2. Presentation on cellular V2X socio-economic benefit study
3. LTE-V2X (PC5) and road safety in the EU
4. 5GAA Presentation Trials
5. Daimler view on V2X – 5GAA Policy Debate

About the 5GAA
The 5GAA is a cross-industry association between the cellular and automotive industries to develop, test and promote communications solutions, initiate their standardisation and accelerate their commercial availability and global market penetration, to address society’s connected mobility and road safety needs with applications such as automated driving, ubiquitous access to services and integration into smart city and intelligent transportation.

Pictures credit © Thomas Blairon, 2017. Reproduction of this image is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged

This report, authored by independent telecoms, media and technology consultants Analysys Mason together with automotive consultancy SBD Automotive, assesses the benefits of cellular vehicle to everything (C‑V2X) technology for delivery of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. The report, which has a focus on the benefits of such solutions in Europe, uses qualitative evidence, and describes quantitative cost–benefit analysis that the consultants have undertaken, relating to deployment of C‑V2X.

The purpose of the study has been to examine qualitative evidence and perform quantitative analysis, regarding the net benefits of C‑V2X. Quantitative analysis is focused on the European market, where the European Commission (EC) is currently undertaking a public consultation on the deployment of cooperative intelligent transport systems (C‑ITS).

Read the full study here.

As part of this study, primary research has been conducted to elicit views from the mobile and automotive industries on the benefits of C‑V2X. One-to-one interviews with companies involved in the 5GAA were held, in order to identify several key benefits, as summarised in Figure 1.1 below.

A snippet from the report featuring the benefits of C-V2X [Source: Analysys Mason, 2017]

This report by the 5G Automotive Alliance (5GAA) presents a quantitative analysis of the ability of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems using short-range ad hoc/direct communications to reduce the number of fatalities/serious injuries caused by motoring accidents in the EU. In this context, the study estimates the number of accidents avoided over time through the use of two short-range wireless technologies, 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5) and IEEE 802.11p, examining their respective performance and projected take-up among road users. The modelling underlying this report has been peer-reviewed and validated by the technology and policy consultancy, Ricardo.

Specifically, two standardised C-ITS short-range technologies are compared for the purposes of this report, namely 3GPP LTE-V2X PC5 (also known as LTE side-link) and IEEE 802.11p (also known as DSRC  or ITS-G5), both operating in the 5.9 GHz band for the provision of direct communications between road users. It should be noted that additional reductions in the number of fatalities and serious injuries are possible via longer-range C-ITS communications enabled through interactions with a LTE cellular network, but that these are not considered in this report. Hence, the analysis is limited to LTE-V2X (PC5) only, in comparison to 802.11p.

This study examines and compares two independent counter-factual scenarios: one where LTE-V2X (PC5) is the only deployed C-ITS technology, and the other where 802.11p is the only deployed C-ITS technology.

We consider, as a baseline, the existing and future projected statistics for road traffic fatalities and serious injuries in the EU. We then evaluate the reduction in the number of fatalities and serious injuries which may occur as a result of C-ITS direct communications between road users, by modelling:

• The expected take-up (penetration) of LTE-V2X (PC5) and 802.11p among road users in the EU over time (including vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians), and
• the radio link performance of LTE-V2X (PC5) and 802.11p in successfully delivering actionable warning messages between road users in a number of collision scenarios.

We identify the following conclusions and recommendations from the results of this report:

•  The study indicates that LTE-V2X (PC5) outperforms 802.11p in reducing fatalities and serious injuries on the EU’s roads. This is due to a combination of the superior performance of LTE-V2X (PC5) at the radio link level for ad hoc/direct communications between road users, and the market led conditions which better favour the deployment of LTE-V2X in vehicles and in smartphones, and include a clear evolutionary path towards 5G-V2X. For these reasons, it is essential that EU regulations remain technology neutral and do not hinder the deployment of LTE-V2X (PC5) in favour of 802.11p for the provision of direct communications among vehicles and between vehicles and vulnerable road users.
•  An absence of interoperability at radio link level between LTE-V2X (PC5) and 802.11p is unlikely to present a substantive barrier to the reduction of road accidents in the EU in the short to medium term. The relatively low penetration of C-ITS technologies in vehicles in the first half of the next decade (and perhaps even later) means that a vehicle equipped with LTE-V2X (PC5) or 802.11p is far more likely to collide with a vehicle that is not equipped with C-ITS technologies at all – indeed it is not until the middle of the next decade that penetration rates are expected to reach a level which results in significant impacts on accident rates. Any regulations which mandate LTE-V2X (PC5) to be backward interoperable with 802.11p will therefore have only a limited effect in the early years of deployment pre-2025. Such regulations may run the risk of unnecessarily distorting the market in favour of 802.11p, thereby obstructing the adoption of LTE-V2X (PC5) and resulting in greater road fatalities and injuries in the longer term.

Read the full study here.

Brussels, 05^th December 2017 – The 5GAA today published a report, authored by independent telecoms, media and technology consultants Analysys Mason together with automotive consultancy SBD Automotive, which assesses the benefits of cellular vehicle to everything (C‑V2X) technology for delivery of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. The report, which has a focus on the benefits of such solutions in Europe, uses qualitative evidence, and describes quantitative cost–benefit analysis that the consultants have undertaken, relating to deployment of C‑V2X.

Publication of the report coincides with policy development on V2X, and use of the 5.9GHz band, in the European Union, where the European Commission is currently undertaking a public consultation on deployment of cooperative intelligent transport systems (C‑ITS).

The study concludes that the deployment of C-ITS systems is beneficial at the European Union level. Net benefits that could be accrued in Europe are estimated to be in the range of EUR20 billion to EUR43 billion in 2035 (with the highest benefits coming from increased road safety, and traffic efficiency), across the four scenarios modelled.

The most favourable scenario of those modelled in the study (amounting to EUR 43 billion net benefits) is where the potential for rapid penetration and economies of scale for C-V2X is maximised and both C-V2X and the Wi-Fi Standard IEEE 802.11p are able to co-exist in the 5.9GHz spectrum band.  Such benefits do not arise in a scenario where the use of IEEE 802.11p is mandated for C-ITS services, which would result in less than half these expected net benefits (EUR 20 billion).

The study also indicates benefits of C-V2X for the European market lie in its deployment flexibility, with the ability to provide coverage for both short range and wide area applications, and certainty of future evolution to 5G, potentially facilitating earlier deployment as well as after-market deployment (e.g. V2X services provided in vehicles via a smartphone or other after-market device with C-V2X connectivity).

Reduced infrastructure deployment costs are a further key benefit of C-V2X, from the potential to re-use existing mobile infrastructure, and thus leveraging cellular technology integration and economies of scale, rather than building independently operated roadside infrastructure.

Christoph Voigt, 5GAA Chairman comments: “C-V2X will be fundamental to the deployment of cooperative intelligent transport systems. The benefits highlighted is this report indisputably demonstrate that this technology will lead to major improvements in driving and road safety. It further highlights that the European Commission should take a technology neutral approach and not limit these benefits by mandating the use of the Wi-Fi standard IEEE 802.11p”

The socio-economic benefits study on C-V2X can be found here.

Separately, the 5GAA has also today published a study which carries out a quantitative analysis of LTE–V2X (PC-5) and IEEE 802.11p technologies for short-range ad hoc/direct communications in reducing fatalities and serious injuries caused by motoring accidents in the EU. The modelling underlying this report was peer-reviewed and validated by the technology and policy consultancy, Ricardo. The study find that LTE-V2X (PC5) outperforms 802.11p in reducing fatalities and serious injuries on the EU’s roads. The 5GAA’s study on an assessment of LTE-V2X (PC5) and 802.11p direct communications technologies for improved road safety in the EU can be found here.

About C-V2X

V2X allows vehicles to communicate with each other and the wider transport ecosystem. It will potentially complement on-board sensors by providing enhanced information (such as data from other vehicles) over a longer range.

C‑V2X is a technology developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to deliver V2X services, using two modes of communication:

• a direct vehicle-to-vehicle mode (called ‘PC5’ in 3GPP specifications) and
• a network communications interface (called ‘Uu’ in 3GPP specifications) for vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication via existing mobile networks.

Download Press Release here.

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is delighted to announce that it is embarking on a new partnership with the IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group.

On 16 November 2017, in Shanghai, both parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in order to foster cooperation in the field of connected and autonomous driving solutions. This exciting journey of collaboration will also be a unique opportunity to pool resources in technology research and related use cases on a global scale.

Both organisations are advocates for the accelerated development of enhanced mobile communication systems between all road users and vehicles. The focus technologies for both associations are LTE-V2X and 5G-V2X. The 5GAA and IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group will harness their joint expertise on a range of projects, such as:

• Further conducting technical research on LTE-V2X and 5G-V2X
• Ensuring the promotion of the applications of 5G based V2X solutions

Since its launch in September 2016, 5GAA has grown exponentially worldwide. Over 60 industry leaders from the automotive, technology and telecommunications industries have teamed up to accelerate C-V2X technology development and its evolution to 5G-V2X for enhanced safety, automated driving and connected mobility. Together, 5GAA members are building a safer, more sustainable and connected transport ecosystem.

The Chairman of 5GAA, Christoph Voigt, is confident that both organisations’ hold a bright future of collaboration together: “5GAA was created to connect the telecom industry and vehicle manufacturers to develop 360-degree solutions for safer and more sustainable mobility systems. We look forward to working with IMT-2020 to define the requirements of C-V2X and to create a successful V2X ecosystem”.

IMT-2020 was established in February 2013. It is the major platform for 5G technology innovation, industry promotion and international cooperation in China. IMT-2020 C-V2X Working Group is established by IMT-2020 Expert Committee in April 2017, who conduct technical research on LTE-V2X and 5G-V2X innovation. Its members include leading operators, vendors, universities and research institutes in the telecommunication and automotive industries.

Wang Zhiqin, Chairman of IMT-2020 welcomed the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding between both organisations: ”IMT-2020 is the major platform for 5G technology innovation, industry promotion and international cooperation in China, and IMT-2020 C-V2X Working Group is responsible for industry integration among ICT, automobile, transportation and etc.. IMT-2020 and 5GAA have a number of partners and working interests in common, we are glad to cooperate with 5GAA together to ensure the successful development and commercialization of C-V2X and future 5G automotive services”.