The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) welcomes the Council of the European Union’s objection against the proposal for Delegated Regulation on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS), as a clear signal of support to technology neutrality.

Brussels, Belgium – On 8^th July 2019 the Council of the European Union adopted a decision to object against the proposal for Delegated Regulation on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS).

5GAA endorses the Council conclusions and will continue to advocate for an EU framework that abides by the principle of technology neutrality, inclusive of all available technical solutions, to improve road safety and traffic efficiency.

The current C-V2X generation, LTE-V2X, is fully standardised and ready for deployment in all world regions as emphasised by announcements from multiple OEMs in the USA and China.

5GAA and its members stand ready to engage in a positive dialogue with the European institutions and all stakeholders to define such a future-proof regulatory framework for cooperative, connected and automated mobility in Europe.

SHANGHAI, CHINA, 27 June 2019 – The 5G Automotive Association, with the engagement of relevant ecosystem actors in China, from Government officials to telecom and automaker companies and the larger 5GAA community, took stage today at the MWC Shanghai 2019 to explain the state of deployment of the ‘Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything’ (C-V2X) technology in this region.

“5GAA is instrumental in supporting the implementation of C-V2X technology in different parts of the world including China. The momentum in China reflects the fact that C-V2X is the verified, mature and preferred future proof technology for connected vehicles”, said Luke Ibbetson, 5GAA board member and Vodafone Group’s Head of Research and Development.

C-V2X as part of Chinese C-ITS standards

Representatives from different Chinese public institutions underlined during the conference that after issuing the three-year Industry Development Plans on Intelligent Connected Cars (ICV) and releasing C-V2X 5.9GHz ITS spectrum last year, ministries now accelerate standards system of ICV in order to solve the issue of interoperability in various scenarios. Meanwhile, the definition of smart highway standard has started in terms of infrastructure digitalization, Road-Transport unity, “Internet Plus” comprehensive services and new generation transport control network which will be enabled by C-V2X infrastructure and devices for both long range and short-range communication.

C-V2X Eco-system

There was strong engagement from industry stakeholders in China as well. It has been shared that 15 chipset/modules vendors are committed to support C-V2X for the Chinese market, 35 manufacturers are able to provide C-V2X infrastructure hardware or software, and in particular 15 car OEMs have recently announced the roll-out of C-V2X from 2020 H2 to 2021 H1. In order to improve C-V2X industry maturity, IMT2020’s C-V2X Working Group last year organized a “Three-Cross” interoperability tests for three Chipset vendors and 12 OEMs. Furthermore, an interoperability test called “Four-Cross” will be hosted to address more stakeholders and security by testing and verifying certification and authority system.

C-V2X Trial and Pre-commercial pilot

Many voices from the business side also explained the details for C-V2X deployment on the roads and vehicles in China, to be followed in other regions. There are more than 20 trials and pilot projects taking place where 100KM roads across 10 provinces will be digitalized with C-V2X.

Wuxi has been designated as national ICV pilot certificated by MIIT. C-V2X deployment in Wuxi will be extended from 240 intersections to 400 this year, focusing mainly on use cases of autonomous driving assistance and green waves for buses. It is estimated that 1-2 bus lanes will be completed with green wave deployment by end of this year, so as to improve punctuality, reduce emergent stop and waiting time of red light for buses.

Yanchong Highway will be deployed with C-V2X to embrace the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Other regions in China start deploying C-V2X by 2020, for instance, 40KM in Beijing Shunyi district and the international exhibition centre, 42KM in Shanghai Yangshan port, 4.5KM in Xiongan New Area, and the 30KM highway around Hainan province.

On top of showing the strong consolidation of C-V2X in China, the 5GAA event successfully underlined the progress of C-V2X application and services in terms of readiness of the ecosystem and commercialisation. However, China is not alone: 5GAA underlined its dedication to standardization, the eco-system and commercialisation of C-V2X in America, Europe, Japan and South Korea. Once again, 5GAA’s presence at MWC Shanghai successfully outlined the association’s vision in being a global player, and facilitating thought leadership platforms for relevant stakeholders driving towards building a better mobility ecosystem.

 About 5GAA

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global, cross-industry organisation of 115 members comprised of leading global automakers, Tier-1 suppliers, mobile operators, semiconductor companies, test equipment vendors, etc. working together to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility and transportation services.

5GAA is committed to helping define and develop the next generation of connected mobility for autonomous based on Cellular-V2X (C-V2X), the family of cellular technology-based communications.

Contact

Marketing and Communications Team
Email: marcom@5gaa.org

Web: www.5gaa.org

 

The 5G Automotive Association officially became a partner of the City of Turin through the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding, at the occasion of 5GAA’s Connected and Automated Driving Workshop in Berlin on 23 May 2019.

The City of Turin is the first public authority 5GAA is officially partnering with. The Piedmontese capital, home to the Italian automotive industry, will work together with 5GAA to strengthen the collaboration between industry and the public sector and to facilitate the dialogue to drive innovation in mobility and transport. “The signature of a memorandum of understanding with a public authority, the City of Turin, is a first step towards the development of strategy public partnerships. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration” said 5GAA Chairman Christoph Voigt.

The City of Turin has started a linked strategic path to innovation (Torino City Lab, Smart Road) based on the opening of the city to frontier innovation, testing and experimentation on the whole urban territory using real environments and integrating new solutions within the city’s technological infrastructures, attraction and realization of new services. According to Innovation Counsellor Paola Pisano, “the intention is to place Turin into the innovation maps of 5GAA partners, providing the project with the know-how of the territory and the support of the Torino City Lab policy for the development of innovation in the areas of mobility and telecommunications, with a focus on 5G.”

5GAA’s objectives are fully aligned as the association intends to develop new partnerships with public authorities around C-V2X technical and testing activities to accelerate and support time-to-market and foreseen deployments in Europe and other world regions.

The City of Torino will be hosting the next 5GAA meeting in Europe in November 2019.

KLETTWITZ, GERMANY, 15 April 2019 – 5GAA announced today that multiple technology providers of Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) have achieved successful results showing multi-vendor interoperability. Companies from across the global 5GAA community came together in Klettwitz, Germany, last week to conduct multi-vendor C-V2X interoperability tests at the automotive proving ground of host and 5GAA member DEKRA, a global leader in automotive safety testing. 

The event demonstrated a high-level of interoperability across all participating companies with 96% of the 249 C-ITS safety test-cases successfully communicated based on both the ETSI ITS specifications and IEEE/SAE ITS standards for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) use cases. As a result, the event validated the automotive industry’s maturity to support the commercial deployment this year of C-V2X solutions throughout the world, with both infrastructure and onboard units.

“Interoperability tests represent a unique opportunity for C-V2X vendors to refine their software implementation. This event has shown very satisfying results and prove the technology readiness of the radios,” stated 5GAA CTO Maxime Flament.

Samsung’s (Harman) leadership within 5GAA as rapporteur was vital in bringing together many of the foremost automotive C-V2X companies and their commercial C-V2X solutions and test equipment from across the globe including Cohda Wireless, Commsignia, Huawei, Qualcomm Technologies, Keysight Technologies, Rohde & Schwarz, Savari, WNC and Vodafone Automotive. Ford, LG Electronics, Neusoft and Sumitomo Electric also attended the event.

Trilateral Interoperability

The event showcased multi-vendor interoperability testing by utilizing commercial C-V2X chipset products from Harman, Huawei and Qualcomm Technologies, marking an important milestone.

The week was viewed as highly successful by all participants, as it brought together many of 5GAA’s C-ITS experts for testing and to validate that C-V2X products are both mature and commercially available today for the cooperative, connected and automated mobility ecosystem.

“I’m delighted that the positive results obtained at the 1st European 5GAA C-V2X Interoperability Test derive from the effective collaboration of global players. With our V2X stack we are now amongst the small group of companies worldwide that are ready to deliver state of the art services in connected, cooperative and digital mobility,” said Gion Baker, CEO Vodafone Automotive.

“DEKRA has been delighted to host this historical 5GAA C-V2X interoperability event.  We are very proud to be part of this important development contributing with our technical expertise and unique testing capabilities,” stated Fernando E. Hardasmal, Executive Vice President and Head of the Service Division Product Testing.

“It was a pleasure to support 5GAA in testing C-V2X from radio frequency to region specific ITS applications, forming the basis for interoperability and conformity assessment in a global market,” said Holger Rosier, Technology Manager at Rohde & Schwarz.

“We believe that C-V2X is a cornerstone technology for connected, assisted, and autonomous driving and for seamless user experiences, and is why Harman has launched 3GPP C-V2X globally in all its commercial telematics platforms from 2019″, said Mike Peters, President, Connected Car division, Samsung (Harman).

“5GAA’s C-V2X interoperability event provided an ideal stage to solidify the interworking of various C-V2X solutions, which is essential to realize the full potential of C-V2X,” said Ashok Tipirneni, director of product management, Qualcomm Technologies.

“Together with other participating companies, we are confident to have contributed to the worldwide and European C-V2X ecosystem building. This successful Plugfest has shown the readiness of C-V2X products which will be an important ingredient for the advanced connected and automated mobility.” concluded William Lu, C-V2X Product Line General Manager, Huawei Technologies.

About 5GAA

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global, cross-industry organisation of 115 members comprised of leading global automakers, Tier-1 suppliers, mobile operators, semiconductor companies, test equipment vendors, etc. working together to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility and transportation services.

5GAA is committed to helping define and develop the next generation of connected mobility for autonomous based on Cellular-V2X (C-V2X), the family of cellular technology-based communications.

C-V2X enables both long-range communications via mobile networks as well as direct short-range connectivity for time-critical information (without subscription or network coverage). C-V2X is currently based on 4G/LTE but offers a clear evolution path to 5G.

 

Contact

Marketing and Communications Team
Email: marcom@5gaa.org

Web: www.5gaa.org

 

Brussels, 15 April 2019 – The European Parliament and the Council are currently debating a Delegated Regulation on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS). The European Parliament Transport committee has this week called to halt the approval of this delegated act. We agree.

ETNO, GSMA, the GSA and 5GAA – bringing together the global and European leaders in ICT and automotive – would like to express their highest concern as to the content of this Delegated Regulation. We believe it will downsize safety gains, negatively impact the competitiveness of our automotive sector and the development of 5G technology in Europe. For this reason, we call the European Parliament and the Council to reject the Delegated Regulation in its current form and ensure a revised, tech-neutral and growth-friendly text is put to vote instead, as soon as possible.

Europe risks to be stuck in the slow lane

With technology moving fast, we believe it is of essence that all new rules are future-proof, innovation-oriented in order to maximize C-ITS safety benefits. Currently, the Delegated Regulation fails this test, as it mandates the old Wi-Fi standard 802.11p and it excludes other mature technologies, such as Cellular-Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X), based today on LTE and tomorrow on 5G.

In doing so, it also effectively harms the development of 5G technology in the EU, despite rising global market competition, and it directly contradicts the goals set out in the European Commission “5G Action Plan” and “Digital Single Market Strategy”. Moreover, a technology mandate is a critical political decision, which should remain a sole competence of co-legislators instead of imposing it by a non-legislative act.

Cellular technology is crucial to citizens’ safety

C-V2X is a game-changer for safety. It enables both long-range communications via mobile networks and direct short-range connectivity for time-critical information – without subscription or network coverage. C-V2X offers a unique capability to make vulnerable road users safer by being integrated into smartphones but also holds the potential to connect older cars. Very simply put: cellular technologies can protect pedestrians and cyclists carrying a phone, while Wi-Fi technology is not suitable for this use.

5G technology is tested and it boosts the Single Market

The ConVeX Consortium (gathering global technology leaders such as Audi, Ericsson and Qualcomm) have recently demonstrated that mobile-based technology is ready and it is tested across European borders. This is of essence to ensure a functioning and harmonised European Single Market, as some Member States have already declared they do not have the resources – or do not intend – to deploy Wi-Fi-based solutions. This would create fragmentation where 5G could create harmonisation across EU markets.

Backwards compatibility just does not work

Some voices in the debate claimed that a clause in the Delegated Act would allow for a later revision, hence ensuring backwards compatibility of C-V2X with the mandated Wi-Fi 802.11p technology. Engineers and experts explain that Wi-Fi-based and 5G-based solutions are entirely different technologies using radio waves incompatibly. “Backwards compatibility” would be like expecting a DVD to work in VHS player. This means that unless the Delegated Regulation is made technology-neutral to allow also 5G-based technologies, it will de facto be locked out: European citizens will be relegated to an inferior technology that only a very limited amount of car manufacturers are planning to deploy, while other world regions have already taken steps towards C-V2X deployment.

About Our Associations

ETNO, European Telecommunication Network Operators’ Association – www.etno.eu

GSA, Global mobile Suppliers Association – www.gsacom.com

GSMA, Representing the interests of mobile operators and the broader mobile ecosystem worldwide – www.gsma.com

5GAA, 5G Automotive Association – www.5gaa.org

DETROIT, 11 April 2019 – The 5G Automotive Association highlighted both the safety and commercial readiness of the ‘Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything’ (C-V2X) communication technology during two learning labs sessions and one round-table at SAE World Congress Experience. As a celebration of the recent MoU signature with the OmniAir testing consortium, WCX participants also had the opportunity to discover the testing equipment that enables C-V2X interoperability at the 5GAA networking lounge.

‘Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything’ (C-V2X) technology is synonymous with safety, and is ready to be commercially deployed. These were the main messages from the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) at SAE World Congress, which took place 9-11 April 2019 in Detroit (US).

5GAA representatives from member companies Ford and Panasonic animated two sessions, highlighting the unique benefits of the technology for improving road safety, traffic efficiency. They explained C-V2X role as a key enabler for supporting automated driving whilst strongly emphasizing its technological maturity and commercial readiness.

C-V2X readiness was also reinforced at the 5GAA roundtable on ‘Cloud and Car Enabled Digital Services’, moderated by 5GAA Board member Jim Misener, Senior Director and Global C-V2X Ecosystem Lead at Qualcomm. “C-V2X is all about connecting vehicles with information that is essential for increasing safety and improving traffic flow. Basic safety and advanced driving services communicate between devices with other vehicles, pedestrians and roadside, while many other data exchange and services are supported by the cloud and edge infrastructure using the 4G/5G cellular data network. This is the right combination that will trigger viable investments” said 5GAA CTO Maxime Flament, who took part in the debate.

During the congress, numerous 5GAA representatives gathered at the association’s networking lounge to meet with the CTO to exchange views on the key takeaways generated during the panel sessions. The recent MoU signature with the OmniAir testing consortium, a leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for connected vehicles, was also celebrated.

C-V2X interoperability Tests – Simultaneously Showcasing in the US and Testing in Europe

5GAA showcased the Rohde & Schwarz C-V2X Testing Equipment at its networking lounge during the SAE World Congress. While participants in Detroit could get a glimpse on how this equipment works; the first 5GAA Plugfest – a multi-vendor interoperability testing event – was taking place using the same equipment in Germany.

The interoperability event took place on the testing grounds of 5GAA Member DEKRA in Klettwitz (Germany) and involved several different C-V2X technology vendors including Cohda Wireless, Commsignia, Samsung Harman, Huawei, Neusoft, Qualcomm, Savari, and Vodafone Automotive. Keysight testing equipment was also used in the tests.

Overall, the test provided valuable insights into the maturity and market readiness of C-V2X technology, as interoperability between devices is the key to unlocking the benefits of Connected Vehicles. It also demonstrated the common high-degree of maturity and convergence amongst the technology vendors delivering C-V2X Communications. This test event, along with the IMT-2020 event in Shanghai in November 2018, is part of the final stages of 5GAA’s pre-deployment activities. This underscores the current maturity of cellular-based LTE-V2X, which will soon be available to drivers worldwide given the right regulatory environment and market conditions. 5GAA member Ford’s recent announcement about their plans for in-vehicle C-V2X deployment both in China and the US is just one testament to this fact.

With this week’s activities in the US and Germany, 5GAA continues promoting C-V2X as a future proof technology that allows faster, and more accurate and reliable communications.

 

About 5GAA

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global, cross-industry organisation with 110 members working together to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility and transportation services. The organisation is committed to helping define and develop the next generation of connected mobility for advanced driving and automated vehicle solutions.

For more information, visit 5GAA’s website, LinkedIn and Twitter pages.

 

Contact

Marketing and Communications Team
Email: marcom@5gaa.org

GCF certification programme addresses market needs for LTE-based V2V and V2X communications technologies.

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) and Global Certification Forum (GCF) have agreed a collaborative framework under which they will combine their resources and expertise to accelerate the global introduction of Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) products. The new partnership aims to address the current gap in certification capabilities and processes, thereby harmonizing C-V2X at a global level and reducing the time-to-market of C-V2X products.

C-V2X is set to become a disruptive forward-looking force in the automotive market, providing the platform which will enable vehicles to communicate with each other and with everything around them. Originally defined as LTE V2X in 3GPP Release 14, C-V2X provides one solution for integrated V2V, V2I and V2P and V2N operation. The shorter-range V2V, V2I and V2P modes support direct communication without necessarily relying on network involvement for scheduling, whilst the longer range V2N mode will deliver network assistance and commercial services requiring the involvement of a Mobile Network Operator (MNO). The data throughputs and latencies provided by 5G are critical to the performance of autonomous vehicle applications and hence C-V2X is designed to be fully compatible with 5G technologies.

With the C-V2X specifications due to be finalised in 3GPP Release 16, car manufacturers and their suppliers in the key markets of the USA, Asia and Europe have been working on products which will come to market in 2019.

“We are extremely pleased to partner with GCF as a further step towards safe and successful C-V2X deployment,” said Maxime Flament, CTO at 5GAA. “This aligns perfectly with our mission to accelerate the global deployment of intelligent transport and communications solutions and make transportation of the future safer and more reliable.”

“As always, with the introduction of new and disruptive technology, standards and certification are critical to ensuring successful deployment,” said Lars Nielsen, General Manager at GCF. “Our partnership with 5GAA means that together we are achieving the evolution into 5G with a proven success factor for self-driving and connected vehicles.”

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global, cross-industry organisation bridging the gap between automotive, technology and telecom industries, promoting the C-V2X technology (Cellular vehicle-to-everything) as a comprehensive platform for connected vehicles, safety and transportation. With 110 members, the organisation is committed to helping define and develop the next generation of connected mobility and automated vehicle solutions.

The GCF certification scheme has been running since 1999 and has constantly evolved in alignment with developments in mobile technologies and the changing needs of the industry. GCF’s certification portfolio already covers LTE sidelink, a key technology for automotive applications, supporting vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) use cases, and GCF is therefore the natural partner for 5GAA on C-V2X certification.

The framework agreed by the two organisations will enable 5GAA and GCF to work together to ensure the certification needs of the C-V2X industry are identified and prioritised and that test cases and associated capabilities are developed in-line with the needs of this rapidly emerging market.

For more information on GCF see: https://www.globalcertificationforum.org

All presentations of the 5GAA session at MWC19 Barcelona are available down this page.

February 27th, Barcelona – During today’s well attended keynote, ‘Connecting the Mobility World with 5G’, the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) gathered experts from the automotive, technology and telecom industries to explain how the deployment of ‘Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything’ (C-V2X) communication technology on the path to 5G is shaping the mobility of the future. Today LTE-V2X, the initial version of C-V2X, stands on the verge of its commercial launch: allowing vehicles to communicate with each other and their surroundings and, together with 5G enhancements, facilitating broad scale improvements in road safety.

“By bringing together key actors of the mobility ecosystem – across the automotive, information and communications technology industries – 5GAA continuously strives to develop forward-looking solutions for intelligent transportation services. Both for today and tomorrow.” stressed Thierry Klein, 5GAA Vice Chair and Head of the Disruptive Innovation Program at Nokia Bell Labs. “These end-to-end integrated solutions bring enhanced safety, sustainability, and convenience to all road users. 5GAA is very excited to be pioneering the revolution towards a smarter and more connected mobility world,” Thierry Klein added.

C-V2X communication is the state-of-the-art, high-speed cellular communications platform that enables vehicles to communicate with one another, with roadside infrastructure, with other road users (such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists) using either direct short-range communications or cellular networks. While C-V2X network-based solutions are already widely deployed, direct communication solutions will be commercially available as of this year. As such the C-V2X platform delivers safety, mobility, traffic efficiency, and environmental benefits. C-V2X is designed with an evolutionary path to 5G and supports safe and efficient operations of autonomous vehicles.

5GAA members spearheading C-V2X

A number of 5GAA members are announcing ground breaking use cases at this year’ MWC. 5GAA members Telefónica, Ericsson, Ficosa and Seat show 5G connected car use cases supported by C-V2X direct communication for safer driving in a city (e.g. detection of cyclists when turning right or of a pedestrian at a zebra crossing). Another key technology bringing these use cases to life is edge computing.

In addition, 5GAA members Continental and Vodafone are working together to increase road safety and protect all road users for instance via “digital safety-shield” for cyclists and pedestrians, using C-V2X direct communication and edge computing in the first 5G deployments. The 5G-ready tests are taking place under real-life conditions at Vodafone’s 5G Mobility Lab in Aldenhoven, Germany.

Rohde & Schwarz has announced a collaboration with automotive electronics specialist Vector on a C-V2X end-to-end application layer test solution to verify safety-critical V2X scenarios. The companies’ integrated test platform is showcased for the first time at Mobile World Congress.

Deutsche Telekom has announced first C-V2X tests together with Skoda Auto in Czech as part of the European C-Roads project.

Geely also announced its plans to launch the first mass-produced C-V2X enabled vehicles in China together with Qualcomm in 2021.

Qualcomm has also announced its first 5G automotive platform, enabling both C-V2X short and long-range modes, which is expected to sample later this year and are planned for production vehicles in 2021.

C-V2X direct communication goes commercial in 2019

Mass production of C-V2X chips including direct communication from several suppliers is ongoing, and multiple radio vendors have already integrated these chips into their automotive radio offerings. 2019 is the year when C-V2X direct communication technology will be commercially available across the globe. Furthermore, full interoperability testing on C-V2X applications is ongoing among 5GAA members. The first mass-deployment in vehicles on the roads is anticipated to start in China in 2020; to be followed swiftly in other regions when local regulations allow for it.

“C-V2X is now ready to roll. At Ford, we will begin to deploy this technology in all new models launching in the US starting in 2022” confirmed Don Butler, Executive Director of Connected Vehicle & Services at Ford Motor Co.

The next milestone: 5G New Radio

C-V2X provides a clear evolution path to the family of 5G technologies for both direct and network communication. Part of this evolution is the 5G New Radio (NR).

NR-V2X will eventually ensure safe operation of autonomous driving vehicles by using 5G New Radio with Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) network based communication combined with improved direct short range communications.

“The development of the NR-V2X standard is due for completion by the end of 2019; eventually hitting the road in 2023. This will enable a new generation of use cases for connected automated vehicles”, said Maxime Flament, CTO at 5GAA.

About 5GAA

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global, cross-industry organisation with 110 members working together to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility and transportation services. The organisation is committed to helping define and develop the next generation of connected mobility for advanced driving and automated vehicle solutions.

Presentations

• Opening speech by Thierry Klein, 5GAA Vice Chair & Nokia Bell Labs / Connecting the Mobility World with 5G-V2X
• Keynote by Friedhelm Ramme, Ericsson / 5G: From Concepts to Reality
• Keynote by Thorsten Hehn, Audi / 5G for Automotive: Key Applications
• Keynote by Jiang Wangsheng, Huawei / C-V2X Enables Intelligent Transportation 
• Keynote by Nakul Duggal, Qualcomm / C-V2X Ignites Automotive Connected Revolution
• Speech by  Vishnu Sudaram, Harman (Samsung) / Go-To-Market Timeline

 

On 12 and 13 February 2019, the 5G Vertical User Workshop, an initiative of 3GPP Market Representative Partners 5GAA, 5G-IA, 5G-ACIA and PSCE, was organised as a collaborative event for strategic dialogue between industries and 3GPP by exchanging on future needs and upcoming cellular standard developments. The workshop as a result, aimed to produce a report shared directly to 3GPP Project Coordination Group (PCG) as a mean to stimulate and facilitate greater involvement of the 5G Vertical Users in the 3GPP process.

The workshop held in Brussels brought together a host of experts from 5G standardization and a number vertical industries hoping to harness 5G including Automotive, Public Safety, Industry Automation, Utilities, Broadcasting, Satellites and Railways; as well as policy makers at the EU and Member State level.

Overall the event was successful in stimulating open dialogue and actions across all participants in an informal workshop setting that supported all involved to share their perspectives and experiences from their industry and standardization, and therefore how related processes may well be improved moving forward. Several possible options were discussed in terms of how to deliver improvements, and what corresponding changes to interaction could look like if required. Could this involve further workshops outside of 3GPP which could then drive action within the established channels? Or should there be alteration to vertical and MRP orientated rules of procedure to foster greater contributions?

Moreover, several open tools were discussed for better tracking activity and on-going work to make 3GPP more accessible to those joining, and those already, involved that may experience difficulties in contributing during this important period in the standardization of 5G. The need for such improvements are especially pronounced due to the forthcoming TSG#84 in December 2019, during which the completion of both Rel. 16 upon which 5G will be so dependent, and finalization of the scope for Rel. 17 are both scheduled.

There was a clear consensus among organizational partners and participants that an informal workshop and forum of this type was of use to help stimulate productive discussion on how to proceed with inter-MRP interaction in future.

In light of this, it was proposed that a second event with more focus on practical steps to be taken by 5G vertical industries and SDOs to improve vertical input would be of value, however the setting of this event is yet to be determined; interested Market Representational Partners will be coordinating to decide on the most effective next steps to convert what was valuable dialogue into impactful actions.

Until then, all involved expressed their great thanks to all who contributed to a workshop filled with rich dialogue, and hope based on continuing collaboration that this progress can be built upon over the coming months.

You can find all presentations here:

1. 5GAA – 5G Automative Association, pioneering digital transformation in the automotive industry
2. PSCE – Public Safety Communication Europe, National plans and roadmaps towards broadband
3. 5GIA – 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation
4. ESOA – EMEA Satellite Operators Association, 3GPP Market Representation Partners
5. EBU – European Broadcasting Union, Native 5G broadcasting
6. EUTC – European Utilities Telecom Council
7. 5GIA, 5G PPP Projects focusing on standardisation Verticals and Standards Tracker Tool + Pan-European 5G Trials Roadmap, and International Trials
8. 5G-PPP, Prestandards WG Status update
9. 3GPP, Verticals in 3GPP + Mission Critical Comms + Industrial Automation + V2X learnings in 3GPP

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) board took part in the public consultation launched by the Directorate General Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) of the European Commission on the C-ITS delegated regulation.

The consultation has 100 comments from individuals, associations and companies. In fact, some 5GAA members have submitted their own feedback. The variety of comments proves that there are clearly opposing positions regarding this regulation.

Concretely, in the submitted feedback, the 5GAA board calls upon the Commission to:

• Amend the draft Delegated Regulation to include LTE-V2X both short-range and long-range communications, via the related ETSI approved specifications and profiles on an equal footing with ITS-G5;
• Define interoperability as a “mutual” requirement among mature C-ITS technologies, namely ITS-G5 and LTE-V2X for short & long-range communications;
• Avoid legal uncertainty on the “fast-track” update process by:
  – Introducing a 6-month deadline for the Commission to make its decision publicly known as regards the initiation of an amendment procedure to include new technologies (e.g., 5G-V2X) or new C-ITS services;
  – Specifying clearly the terms, conditions and processes for the inclusion of other technologies (e.g. 5G-V2X) or C-ITS services, including unambiguous definitions of terms such as “existing”, “maturity” or “migration path”, etc.;
  – Include as an Annex to the Delegated Regulation a template for the “technical file” to be submitted;
  – Open up participation in the future C-ITS Expert Group to representatives of technology segments that are not within the scope of the draft Delegated Regulation today.
• We note that all elements required in the proposed process for updating the draft Regulation are already met by LTE-V2X:
  – All required profiles/technical specifications for LTE-V2X have been adopted by European SDOs;
  – Multiple vendors have already commercialised LTE-V2X short-range hardware and software solutions in Q1 2019 (and more are announced for Q2 2019);
• We also underline that many of the C-ITS priority services listed in Annex I of the draft Delegated Regulation have already been implemented using 3G and 4G (LTE) cellular networks for long-range communications (e.g. traffic jams, weather conditions, road works, etc.). Yet, this reality is not accounted for by the draft text which still only foresees the initial deployment of these services exclusively via ITS-G5 for short-range communications.

Read the full feedback submitted by the 5GAA board here.