GSMA, the global association of mobile operators, has announced a three-year co-operation agreement with the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), in order to accelerate the deployment of connected cars. The global trade groups will work across industries to focus on privacy/security, common standards and target the 5.9 GHz spectrum band specifically for the internet of vehicles.
The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global, cross-industry organization of over 120 members comprised of leading global automakers, Tier-1 suppliers, mobile operators, semiconductor companies and test equipment vendors. It works together to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility and transport services. 5GAA is committed to helping define and develop the next generation of connected mobility, automated vehicle and intelligent transport solutions based on C-V2X.
Both organizations support cellular-based solutions – both direct and network-based V2X communications — to connect vehicles to each other, road users, roadside infrastructure and cloud-based services. Together, they aim to find faster, smarter and cheaper solutions to the challenges of connected driving. These solutions will reduce fatalities on the road and emissions in the air, according to Afke Schaart, Vice President and Head of Europe, GSMA.
In Asia, Europe and the US, ideas around connected and autonomous mobility are expanding to include new industries and technologies. How and what people drive will change radically over the next decade. Collaboration will be the key, while governments should remain technology-neutral in their policies on connected vehicles.
According to Maxime Flament, Chief Technology Officer of 5GAA, C-V2X technology is set to revolutionize the mobility ecosystem and the way vehicles and drivers interact with the world, including vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. It is an essential stepping stone for the ongoing digitization of transportation by providing real-time, highly reliable, and actionable information flows to enable road safety, traffic efficiency and environmental progress.
The push for C-V2X will not only help save lives, but also, improve the quality of life in smart cities. Each year about 1.35 million people die worldwide in traffic accidents, the majority caused by human error, according to the World Health Organization. As V2X technology evolves that number should decline. The US Department of Transportation estimates that V2X could save more than 1,000 people a year in the US and reduce non-fatal injuries by 2.3 million.
Meanwhile, traffic congestion accounts for 15 billion liters (4 billion gallons) of wasted fuel in the US every year. Cleaner vehicles and smarter route choices will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 14% of which come from global transportation, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
