Connected Car Technology: Cellular V2X Outperforms DSRC/ITS-G5 in Comprehensive Tests as Mobility Industry Moves Towards 5G

MUNICH, November 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

As regulators worldwide are looking into future rules for connected cars technologies, the 5G Automotive Association has conducted tests to compare the performance of 802.11p/DSRC (known in Europe as ITS-G5) and Cellular V2X PC5 radio technologies in delivering V2V (Vehicle-To-Vehicle) safety messages.

The test results show that Cellular V2X (Vehicle-to-everything) direct communications technology, consistently - and in many cases overwhelmingly - outperforms 802.11p/DSRC. With a natural evolution path towards the low latency and high bandwidth benefits of 5G NR, C-V2X also demonstrated superior performance in several dimensions, including the following:  

• Enhanced reliability over extended communications range;
• Better non-line-of-sight performance; and
• Greater resiliency to interference (e.g. arising from other devices)

These performance advantages are particularly important in the most difficult environments such as non-line-of-sight scenarios (e.g., around a corner, highway queue forming etc.), where resident on-board sensors and radars have certain limitations.

Reliable and timely radio performance is a crucial requirement that all those with a stake in transport safety depend on to deliver critical safety applications. Such test procedures are a prerequisite to comparing the available radio technologies, and the results are very clear: C-V2X direct communications (PC5) performs better. C-V2X is commercially available and reuses the decades long investment into protocols and upper layer applications to improve safety, deliver traffic efficiency, and support automated driving.

The design and execution of each experiment was set up to ensure that environmental conditions, radio frequency parameters, system integration details, and physical structures were consistent when comparing 802.11p/DSRC and C-V2X direct communications.

As yet another strong signal about the global momentum behind C-V2X, 5GAA today counts 102 members (40% from Europe, 35% Asia-Pacific and 25% Americas), an increase of 60% since January 2018, quite a movement for a 2-year-old organization.

5GAA brings together the automotive and ICT industry leaders from all world regions among which carmakers, Tier-1 suppliers, mobile network operators, chipset manufacturers, test equipment vendors, telecom suppliers and traffic signal suppliers in order to continue C-V2X field tests and to accelerate in-vehicle and infrastructure commercial deployments, foreseen beginning in 2019 globally.

Maxime Flament, CTO of the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) said, "These test results demonstrate that C-V2X direct communications, is today's most cutting-edge technology for connected and automated driving, and the best to finally deliver upon safety and traffic efficiency. Hence why C-V2X ecosystem is growing so rapidly - the 5G Automotive Association has now more than 100 members who all believe in C-V2X as the future of mobility."

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Notes to Editors: 

The V2V radio performance tests were conducted by 5GAA members over a period spanning six months from March through September 2018.

Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication is an essential enabler of cooperative, connected and automated mobility that can be supported today by two concurrent technologies: 802.11p (Wi-Fi based) and Cellular V2X (C-V2X).

C-V2X is the family of cellular technologies designed for automotive applications, standardized by 3GPP, the global telecommunications standard development organization.

C-V2X combines on a single technology platform a direct short-range mode operating over ITS spectrum (not requiring any network coverage or subscription) and a long-range mode using traditional cellular networks operating over mobile network operator licensed spectrum.

The above-mentioned tests were conducted using only the C-V2X direct short-range communication mode without any network involvement.

C-V2X current realization is based on LTE-V2X (3GPP Release 14, completed in March  2017), and will evolve into 5G-V2X (also called 5G New Radio or "5G NR") to deliver additional capabilities and support new services (as Release 16, to be completed by 3GPP by end 2019).

About 5GAA
The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global cross-industry organization of companies from the automotive, technology and telecommunications industries (ICT), working together to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility and transportation services. Created in 2016, the Association is comprised of over 100 members whose mission is to develop, test and promote communications solutions, initiate their standardization and accelerate their commercial availability and global market penetration, to address society's connected mobility and road safety needs with applications such as automated driving, ubiquitous access to services and integration into smart city and intelligent transportation. For more information, visit 5GAA's website, LinkedIn and Twitter pages.

Media Contact:
Lisa Boch-Andersen,
Senior Director, Strategic Communications & Marketing
5GAA - 5G Automotive Association e.V.
Tel: +32(0)475450972
Mail: Lisa.boch-andersen@5GAA.org