VIDEO: First 5G cross-border V2X tests completed in Latvia

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The first V2X use-case demonstrations – including truck platooning and VRU collision avoidance – have been completed using a 5G mobile network that imitates the challenges of cross-border connectivity, on a race track in Latvia

The 5G-Routes project – reported on in the 2022 edition of Intertraffic World magazine –  is taking place on a mobility testbed at the Bikernieki race track in Riga, Latvia, and will be crucial for enabling vehicle connectivity in Europe using cellular networks – a continent of many borders and mobile operators. Four cross-border use cases were demonstrated in total by several 5G-Routes project partners.

The Latvian Institute of Electronics and Computer Science showcased dynamic vehicles platooning – a scenario in which an autonomous vehicle copies the maneuvers performed by a manually controlled vehicle, using only vehicle data sent and received over a commercial 5G network.

The Vedecom Institute for the Energy Transition and Tallinn University of Technology (TTU) tested two interconnected use cases – a vulnerable road user (VRU) collision avoidance and connected maintenance.

In the VRU demo, a pedestrian received alerts from a connected electric vehicle warning the pedestrian of a potential collision and providing crucial seconds to remove themselves from danger. The VRU and the electric vehicle were each connected to a different mobile operator, testing the cross-border connectivity.

The fourth cross-border connectivity use case demonstrated multiuser gaming on the go hosted by Brainstorm. It showcased the 5G non-standalone (NSA) network capabilities by testing multiplayer gameplay with gamers connected via a 5G-enabled smartphone and laptop.

Latvia’s cross-border 5G mobility space was launched as a part of the 5G-Routes project – an EU-funded future mobility initiative to develop innovative and commercially exploitable CAM (connected and automated mobility) use cases and ensure cross-border automated mobility. The testbed has been developed by the Latvian mobile innovator LMT, in close collaboration with Estonia’s Telia.

When implementing CAM in a cross-border environment, the main challenge is ensuring seamless connectivity. Cross-border connectivity in Europe has been addressed by several EU-funded projects, including 5G-MOBIX, which focuses on developing 5G use cases in transportation, emphasizing cross-border functionality.

Read more in Intertraffic World 2022

“The biggest challenge in testing innovations over the 5G network in a cross-border setting is finding a safe environment that enables undisturbed testing in realistic conditions. Thus, a closed and safe cross-border testing space significantly alleviates this hurdle, facilitating testing on a wider scale and massively accelerating the development of innovative cross-border solutions in all industries, including smart mobility,” says Artūrs Lindenbergs, Mobility Innovation Lead at LMT.

The 5G-Routes project, with a consortium made up of 21 partners from 9 European countries, began work on September 1, 2020. Since then, it has demonstrated several use cases and worked on providing the necessary 5G infrastructure for cross-border testing.

The project’s consortium is preparing to test use cases in the Valka-Valga trial site, located on the Latvian-Estonian border, and the Finnish-Estonian cross border trial site, situated between the Vuosaari and Muuga harbors. Use case testing in the 5G mobility testbed in Latvia was hosted by 5G-ROUTES consortium member LMT, who also coordinates the implementation of the 5G infrastructure across the 5G-ROUTES test sites in Latvia, Estonia, and Finland in collaboration with project partners.

The 5G-Routes project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 951867

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Tom has edited Traffic Technology International (TTi) magazine and its Traffic Technology Today website since May 2014. During his time at the title, he has interviewed some of the top transportation chiefs at public agencies around the world as well as CEOs of leading multinationals and ground-breaking start-ups. Tom's earlier career saw him working on some the UK's leading consumer magazine titles. He has a law degree from the London School of Economics (LSE).