Leading Automotive, Telecom and ITS Companies Unveil First Announced Cellular V2X Trials in Japan
Jan. 12, 2018
Continental, Ericsson, Nissan, NTT DOCOMO,
INC., OKI and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of
Qualcomm Incorporated, announced today plans to carry out their
first Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) trials in Japan.
The objective is to validate and demonstrate the benefits of
C-V2X using direct communication technology defined by the 3rd
Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) in their Release 14
specifications. The trials are designed to show the enhanced
range reliability and latency benefits of C-V2X direct
communications operated in 5 GHz band. Additionally, the C-V2X
trials are designed to demonstrate the complementary benefits of
network-based communications utilizing LTE-Advanced (LTE-A). The
trial results will help develop the ecosystem by providing
inputs to the relevant stakeholders, including ITS-related
organizations and government agencies, as we prepare for the
connected car of the future and the industry's evolutionary
transition towards 5G New Radio (NR), the new global cellular
standard being defined in 3GPP.
While complementing other Advanced Driver
Assistance System (ADAS) sensors, such as radar, lidar, and
camera systems, C-V2X provides non-line-of-sight (NLOS) low
latency awareness with longer range and cloud capabilities, and
designed to extend a vehicle's ability to see, hear and
communicate further down the road, even at blind intersections.
C-V2X radio technology is state-of-the-art
cellular technology and is being validated for global
deployments, and leverages the upper layer protocols developed
by the automotive industry over years of research to support new
advanced end-to-end use cases. C-V2X direct communications
provide enhanced range and reliability without relying on
cellular network assistance or coverage.
Preparation work is well underway with the
trial expected to begin in 2018 and the use cases are designed
to focus on Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure
(V2I) and Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) direct communications, as
well as Vehicle-to-Network (V2N) operations over cellular
network-based wide area communications with cloud access.
For the field trials, Continental will
utilize the Qualcomm® C-V2X Reference Design, which features the
Qualcomm® 9150 C-V2X chipset with integrated Global Navigation
Satellite System (GNSS) capability to build connected car
systems and integrate the systems into Nissan vehicles. Nissan
will perform V2X use case selection and develop test scenarios
with key performance indicators (KPIs) for C-V2X technology
validation. OKI, one of the leading companies in ITS, will bring
their expertise in roadside unit (RSU) infrastructure and
applications to demonstrate V2I as a viable technology for
advanced traffic applications by integrating the Qualcomm® 9150
C-V2X chipset into their RSU. Ericsson, as one of the leading
companies in the technology and service for telecommunication,
will join to the V2N use case discussion, considering a
combination of direct communication and LTE-A network
technologies. NTT DOCOMO will provide an LTE-A network and V2N
applications to demonstrate the benefits of complementary use of
network-based communications for a variety of advanced
automotive informational safety use cases.
"Connecting vehicles is at the top of our
agenda and with more than 20 years of competence in the
development of telematics, over 30 million units shipped, and
years of V2V safety product development culminating in available
V2V communications offerings. We are ready to fully exploit the
potential of cellular connectivity to provide advanced vehicle
functionalities. Along with Nissan, we plan to show that close
cooperation between automotive suppliers, OEMs, mobile
operators, infrastructure and chipset suppliers is of high
importance to further advance and develop Cellular V2X," said
Lars Schultheiss, vice president and head of business unit
Infotainment & Connectivity at Continental in Japan.
"The C-V2X solution is unique in that it,
within a common technology and eco-system, offers both
network-based and direct communication for V2X services. With
the network-based communication, there is a possibility to
provide traffic safety and traffic efficiency services utilizing
already existing coverage and penetration of cellular modems and
smartphones. It also provides connectivity to various
cloud-based services, providing a range of applications and
value-added services. In these trials, all stakeholders are
present to showcase the strength of the complete solution
covering both connectivity and different applications. Ericsson
is contributing with leading 4G, 5G radio, and network expertise
and by leveraging our understanding of the IoT ecosystem," said
Erik Ekudden, chief technology officer at Ericsson.
"We are pleased to have the opportunity to
participate in this C-V2X trial; we expect this new
communication technology is designed to assist us to offer new
safety and convenience features," said Tetsuo Sasaki, general
manager, connected car and services engineering department,
Nissan. "With the data made available by this real-world trial,
we will be able to accelerate our development to offer new
services in a timely manner, once the 5G technology is
available."
"This collaborative project will bring
together the invaluable knowledge and experience of world
leaders in the automotive and telecom domains, and will be
imperative for all parties to underpin their roles in the era of
connected cars toward improved road safety and comfort. NTT
DOCOMO is determined that our experience in telecommunications
system will be indispensable to maximize the values of C-V2X.
This project will set a clear path toward connected cars and
roads of the future that materializes the power of C-V2X," said
Hiroshi Nakamura, Chief Technology Officer at NTT DOCOMO.
"Towards the realization of a connected car
society, the functionalities of network infrastructure for V2X
must be much more intelligent. With OKI's strong track record of
ITS infrastructure deployment, we expect to achieve great
results through this trial regarding the applicability of V2X
for ITS with a view to the evolution towards 5G in conjunction
with other member companies," said Yukio Kato, general manager,
social infrastructure solutions division, ICT business division
of OKI.
