While efforts are growing in the U.S. to promote Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) instead of DSRC, a group of companies are getting together to launch C-V2X trials in Japan this year.
NTT DoCoMo, Ericsson, Nissan, OKI, Continental and Qualcomm Technologies plan to carry out their first C-V2X trials in Japan, with the goal of validating the benefits of C-V2X using technology defined by the 3GPP in the Release 14 specifications. The trials will use the 5 GHz band.
Use cases will focus on Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) direct communications, as well as Vehicle-to-Network (V2N) operations over cellular network-based wide area communications with cloud access.
Continental said it will use the Qualcomm C-V2X Reference Design, which features the Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X chipset with integrated Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) capability to build connected car systems and integrate the systems into Nissan vehicles.
"Connecting vehicles is at the top of our agenda and with more than 20 years of competence in the development of telematics and over 30 million units shipped, and years of V2V safety product development culminating in available V2V communications offerings, we are ready to fully exploit the potential of cellular connectivity to provide advanced vehicle functionalities,” said Lars Schultheiss, vice president and head of business unit Infotainment & Connectivity at Continental in Japan, in a press release. “Along with Nissan, we plan to show that close cooperation between automotive suppliers, OEMs, mobile operators, infrastructure and chipset suppliers is of high importance to further advance and develop Cellular V2X."
NTT DoCoMo is providing the LTE-A network and V2N applications, with OKI bringing its expertise in roadside unit infrastructure and applications to demonstrate V2I as a viable technology for advanced traffic applications. OKI will be integrating the Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X chipset into its roadside unit.
"The C-V2X solution is unique in that it, within a common technology and eco-system, offers both network-based and direct communication for V2X services,” said Erik Ekudden, chief technology officer at Ericsson, in the release. “With the network-based communication, there is a possibility to provide traffic safety and traffic efficiency services utilizing already existing coverage and penetration of cellular modems and smartphones.”
RELATED: Qualcomm, Ford go big with plans to deploy C-V2X in Ford vehicles starting in 2018
In the U.S., Ford and Qualcomm just announced a big collaboration around C-V2X, which Ford says is the technology with the most potential to allow the cars and cities of the future to communicate quickly, safely and securely. Global adoption of C-V2X can deliver vehicles that help cities around the world create a safer environment where people can move more freely, according to a post by Don Butler, Ford Executive Director, Connected Vehicle and Services.
Representatives of the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) recently met with FCC Commissioners Michael O’Rielly and Brendan Carr, as well as others at the FCC, to provide an overview of C-V2X, which they say has the potential to improve safety on the nation’s roads by facilitating the flow of information between vehicles, pedestrians, road infrastructure and networks. They noted that a number of the 5GAA’s members have announced joint testing of C-V2X to demonstrate its safety benefits.
The 5GAA has grown from eight members at its inception in September 2016 to more than 65 members as of December 2017. Representatives meeting with the FCC include executives from Ford, Qualcomm, Nokia, Verizon, Intel, BMW Group, Ericsson, Daimler North America and Samsung.