Jim Misener, Board Member at 5GAA writes about the evolution of C-V2X, exploring the opportunities it opens up
For the past decade, connected mobility has mostly focused on providing services via cellular network technology, such as 4G and 5G, and the Cloud. There are now millions of such ‘Day 0’ vehicle-to-everything (or C-V2X) connected vehicles on the road worldwide. They offer drivers real-time road safety alerts such as ‘slippery road ahead’, traffic alerts such as ‘traffic jam ahead’, and traffic light information including ‘light turns red soon’ via the Cloud.
Building on that initial success, industry and government are actively pursuing a vision of ubiquitous communications—where cars and other road users talk and listen to one another directly as well as to local and Cloud-based infrastructure. Much of this vision is a safety vision. What if cars could directly communicate in the 5.9 GHz ITS spectrum dedicated by the FCC to exchange position and movement information, determine if they might crash, then warn drivers? Or all traffic signals could tell cars and other road users that they will transition from green to yellow, and drivers were alerted that they might run a red light? A bicycle in a blind spot could even alert a car that the rider is nearby. Information delivered from the network, such as traffic or a bike peloton ahead or a work zone, is all valuable and contributes to safer roads.
All of the above is generally referred to as cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X), where the ‘X’ represents road users, traffic infrastructure and even the cloud. C-V2X has taken hold worldwide. In the United States, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently released ‘Saving Lives with Connectivity: A Plan to Accelerate V2X Deployment’.
This landmark document marks the culmination of a 10-month dialogue with stakeholders. It has measurable short-, medium- and long-term objectives culminating 12 years from now with 85% of intersections in the top 75% of metropolitan areas equipped. With this infrastructure-led deployment, market adoption of V2X in cars is predicted to ramp up to six vehicle manufacturers and 20 product lines by 2036.
Visions become reality with the addition of dollars. And dollars are being invested. Recently, coalitions from Texas, Utah, and surrounding states, and Maricopa County in Arizona have been awarded V2X Accelerator Grants. And there’s more on the horizon: USDOT has made C-V2X deployments eligible for federal funding.
The USDOT plan conveys confidence that Day 1 for mass deployment in the US will come. Add to that the impending FCC decision and report and order to give clarity on spectrum rules at 5.9GHz, and we will indeed have further Day 1 C-V2X deployments.
How does Day 1 look if traffic infrastructure communicates? It depends on who you are. From a road owner perspective, services such as emergency vehicle signal pre-emption and transit signal priority are near and real. The roadside equipment for these public fleet applications extends to mass-market vehicle-to-infrastructure applications such as red-light violation warnings. Given that approximately a quarter of Americans who perish on roads do so at intersections, this path of road operator Day 1 segueing to a mass market Day 1 is exactly the formula to deploy. So, from a road user perspective, Day 1 looks like a life-saving day.
For a transition from public fleet to large-scale deployment to happen smoothly, the 5G Automotive Association, largely comprised of vehicle manufacturers, mobile network operators, and suppliers to both, developed the ‘United States Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Communications Day One Deployment Guide’ to define how standardised message sets could be used for direct communications.
5GAA also developed documentation on how to leverage mobile networks and facilitate a scalable information exchange between interconnected back-end systems in the whitepaper ‘Road Traffic Operation in a Digital Age: A Holistic Cross-Stakeholder Approach‘ and a related report, ‘Vehicle-to-Network-to-Everything (V2N2X) Communications: Architecture, Solution Blueprint, and Use Case Implementation Examples‘.
Mobile networks play an important role throughout this deployment of direct communications technologies. Vehicles and handsets have network connectivity, and such connectivity is already harnessed to provide complementary and wide-area safety-enhancing information. Day 0 and Day 1 technologies for network communication have been here for a while and will persist.
The USDOT deployment plan has a long enough runway to accommodate a so-called Day 2 and more. And how does that look? These successive steps forward are overlays of more services on top of Day 1, including direct communication for safety-critical information to be provided to a broad range of vulnerable road users such as cyclists, and vehicles and infrastructure sharing sensor data to presage or even be part of the connected and automated vehicles story.
Of course, Day 1 happens first, but Day 2 is alluring. It will require more spectrum and likely both direct and network communication to work in even better tandem to deliver this plethora of services to the road operator and to the travelling public.
In short, Day 0, Day 1, Day 2, and even Day n applications are additive. That is, Day 0— where basic safety and mobility information is given to road users—will continue indefinitely. The onset of Day 2 would mark a step up in capability that also continues forevermore. Hence, with the passage of this step-by-step succession of overlaying ‘Days’, we will finally realise that vision of ubiquitous information. That vision results in our roads being safer, smarter and less polluting for everyone.
One crucial aspect of this vision is the immense potential for reducing crashes and fatalities on our roads. The integration of C-V2X allows for real-time data exchange between vehicles, infrastructure, and pedestrians, creating a dynamic network that anticipates and mitigates potential hazards. This seamless communication enhances situational awareness, enabling quicker response times and informed decision-making for drivers and road operators.
Furthermore, the implementation of C-V2X paves the way for a more efficient transportation system, reducing traffic congestion, optimising route planning, and reducing CO2 emissions. Communications are the root for traffic flow that can be managed more effectively, leading to reduced travel times and lower energy consumption and emissions.
Collaborative efforts between public and private sectors, along with the support of regulatory bodies, will be instrumental in realising the full potential of C-V2X. As we advance towards a more connected and intelligent transportation ecosystem, the benefits extend beyond safety and efficiency, fostering an environment that encourages innovation, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.
The future of transportation is undoubtedly bright, and with C-V2X at its core, it promises a safer, more efficient, and interconnected world for all road users.
Jim Misener is Senior Director of Product Management and Global V2X Ecosystem Lead for Qualcomm Technologies. Misener develops and executes deployment and strategies for Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) and works closely with C-V2X industry, government and other ecosystem players to accelerate commercialisation.
Author: Jim Misener, Board Member at 5GAA
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