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5G technology used in automotive mobility

Trends

December 17, 2019

9 MIN of Reading

The V2X (vehicle to everything) concept applied by the Portuguese company Veniam

Imagine you are driving and receiving warnings about obstacles that are not yet in your field of vision, avoiding possible accidents before they happen. This is a vehicle that sends out warnings whenever pedestrians, cyclists or obstacles cross the road. This is not a science fiction film. The scenario of vehicles communicating with each other and interpreting information about their surroundings is already a reality and 5G technology is largely responsible for this development.

Driving with a sixth sense

SEAT, one of the leading car manufacturers, has been a pioneer in implementing this technology. ‘Until now, the vehicle only offered information that the driver could see. Now, thanks to 5G technology, it will receive information from the city environment before the driver can see it,’ says César de Marco, SEAT engineer and head of the “5G Connected Car” pilot project.

The advantages of implementing 5G technology

Communication, control and computing are the key concepts in the automotive industry to which 5G technology will make a major contribution, resumes João Barros, CEO of Veniam, a Portuguese start-up that develops software to enable vehicles to communicate with each other and transmit large volumes of data. The potential of 5G connectivity is great, mainly because “it is a versatile technology that, in combination with all existing networks, could lead to the highest level of innovation”, emphasises João Barros.

The 5G network's advantages are obvious: the availability of multiple services and apps, improved road safety and the fact that it will enable significant advances in the production of autonomous vehicles.

Compared to 4G connectivity, 5G technology has the great advantage of enabling vehicles to communicate with each other and receive information instantly, allowing an immediate reading of what's going on around them as well as a safer and more efficient driving, emphasises Veniam's CEO.

In addition to safety, there are mobility benefits for cities, with less traffic jams and a reduced ecological footprint due to lower fuel consumption. But all in all, the potential that opens up for the automotive industry is enormous, explains João Barros: “Manufacturers now have new ways of monetising their services, new companies have the opportunity to offer their apps to the market and users can benefit from new digital experiences”.

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The automotive industry revolution is on the road

While the advantages of adopting 5G connectivity in the automotive industry are clear, its full introduction has a long way to go. “5G technology is still a little behind schedule due to the high costs it involves”, says João Barros, adding that at the moment there is still a learning curve and a period of adaptation required by the entire chain responsible for this technology, from manufacturers and government to telecommunication companies.

Even so, according to Veniam's CEO, “we can and should already be talking about V2X communication”. The concept of Vehicle to Everything or V2X - communication between the vehicle and the existing infrastructure and other vehicles - is being applied by organisations such as Veniam, which is working with car manufacturers and establishing partnerships with companies such as Bosch for data communication. As a result, it has already been possible to develop software that enables the vehicle to be constantly connected to the network, ensuring connections with other vehicles and sending data to the cloud.

Change is happening and new opportunities are emerging on an inevitable path where 5G technology will have to coexist with all current networks to create what João Barros calls “a true revolution in the automotive industry”.

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