Visitors to Jacksonville, Florida’s redeveloped waterfront will soon have the opportunity to experience fully autonomous public transport. T-Mobile and Miller Electric Company have announced a collaboration to deploy a 5G private network that will support a fleet of autonomous vehicles (AVs) along the city’s waterfront and urban core, as part of Jacksonville’s Ultimate Urban Circulator programme.
Miller Electric, based in Jacksonville, will utilise T-Mobile’s Advanced Network Solutions (ANS) 5G private network to operate the new autonomous shuttle buses. These shuttles will transport passengers along a 3-mile route, stretching from EverBank Stadium, home of the city’s professional football team, to the new waterfront hub.
“5G connectivity provides the highest bandwidth and lowest latency communication between the AVs and the control centre,” said Craig Bowman, Director of Technology, Miller Electric. “This turnkey solution will enable the vehicles to navigate the streets alongside other vehicle traffic and will ensure the bandwidth we need is available to stream real-time video surveillance and two-way audio and video communications between passengers and employees.”
Advanced 5G technology is crucial for cities and organisations looking to adopt smart city initiatives, including autonomous vehicles. Alternative solutions, such as Wi-Fi, often fall short in terms of reach, reliability, and scalability, making them less suitable for operating an autonomous fleet.
T-Mobile’s 5G private network will offer secure, reliable two-way communication between the shuttles and the command centre. This includes real-time telemetry data from the onboard sensors as well as live audio and video feeds, allowing staff to communicate with passengers.
“5G is the key that will unlock the autonomous vehicle future that science fiction has teased us with for years,” said Mishka Dehghan, SVP, Strategy, Product, and Solutions Engineering, T-Mobile Business Group. “Because T-Mobile 5G offers the flexibility to build dynamic solutions like a 5G private network, our customers can actually build the future they envision, not just imagine it. I’m excited to see how this solution will support a thriving urban corridor and give visitors convenient and futuristic transportation options.”
The 5G network infrastructure will be built alongside the power and fibre systems already planned for the waterfront project. This ensures that T-Mobile can provide the necessary performance and security for Miller Electric’s AV operations well into the future, without the need for additional infrastructure.
The autonomous shuttles are expected to be operational by mid-2025, marking the first phase of Jacksonville’s Ultimate Urban Circulator. This phase will lay the groundwork for expanding the autonomous shuttle network to connect surrounding neighbourhoods.
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