Two of the leading organizations working towards the introduction of 5th generation mobile networks (5G), the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) and the European Automotive Telecom Alliance (EATA), have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to foster cooperation in the field of connected and autonomous driving systems.
5GAA and EATA are dedicated to prioritizing the use cases identified by the two organizations in order to identify the technical requirements that need to be addressed, both in the short and in the long term, particularly in the areas of standardization, spectrum and related use cases. In order to better support standards for connected and automated driving, standardization prioritization for standards bodies, such as ETSI, 3GPP and SAE is necessary as well.
The two groups agree it is beyond dispute that promoting spectrum-related issues regarding vehicle-to-vehicle/infrastructure/everything (V2V/I/X) communications, agreement on usage modalities of certain bands, security and privacy, as well as vehicle safety requirements to be supported by both mobile network operators (MNOs) and vehicle manufacturers (OEMs), will need to be addressed jointly. Last but not least, agreement between MNOs and OEMs is also key to developing business models and aligning the timelines of both industries.
5GAA includes 33 members, of which eight are the founding members: AUDI AG, BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, Nokia and Qualcomm Incorporated. 5GAA is a multi-industry association to develop, test and promote communications systems, initiate their standardization, and accelerate their commercial availability and global market penetration to address societal need. Focus areas are the development, testing and promotion of communications solutions, the initiation of their standardization, and the acceleration of their commercial availability and global market penetration to address society’s connected mobility and road safety needs with applications, such as autonomous driving, ubiquitous access to services and integration into ‘Smart City’ and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).
EATA is comprised of six leading associations and 38 companies at present, including telecom operators, vendors, automobile manufacturers, and suppliers for both cars and trucks. The main objective of the Alliance is to promote the wide deployment of hybrid connectivity for connected and automated driving in Europe. EATA’s first concrete step is the advancement of a ‘pre-deployment project’ aimed at testing the performance of hybrid communication required for automated driving under real traffic situations. EATA also seeks to identify and address service and technology roadmaps, safety and security needs, as well as regulatory and business issues. The project will tackle cross-border interoperability, including digital and physical infrastructure, as well as vehicle localization issues.
“5GAA was created to connect telecom industry and vehicle manufacturers to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility and transportation services,” explained Christoph Voigt, chairman of the 5GAA board. “We look forward to working with EATA to define the requirements of C-V2X and to create a successful V2X ecosystem.”
Erik Jonnaert, chairman of the EATA steering committee, added, “Car connectivity and automation will require a mix of communications technologies, but it is clear that 5G technology can become a key enabler of Europe’s digital highways.”
