Qualcomm and partners showcase C-V2X direct communications interoperability to improve road safety

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Qualcomm Technologies, 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), and a consortium of vehicle manufacturers claim to have demonstrated the world’s first Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) direct communications technology operating across vehicles from different manufacturers.

C-V2X is said to be a global solution for V2X communications to support improved automotive safety, automated driving, and traffic efficiency. According to Qualcomm, it is the only V2X technology based on globally recognised 3rd Generation Partnership Project specifications with ongoing evolution designed to offer forward compatibility with 5G, and leveraging upper layer protocols defined by the automotive industry.

The demonstration showcased the benefits of using C-V2X real-time direct communications on the globally harmonised 5.9 GHz ITS spectrum for vehicle-to-vehicle collision avoidance and improved road safety without any dependency on cellular operator network involvement, credentials or coverage.

Initial field test results showed a significant range, reliability and performance advantage of C-V2X direct communications, with more than twice the range and improved reliability compared to 802.11p radio technology. Based on C-V2X’s potential to enhance safety and save lives, the group is encouraging the broad automotive ecosystem to accelerate adoption of C-V2X, which is expected to be deployed as early as 2020.

“After years of development supported by leading carmakers, technology providers and the automotive ecosystem at large,” Christoph Voigt, Chairman of 5GAA, said, “C-V2X is ready to improve road safety with deployment in production vehicles and road infrastructure as soon as 2020, leveraging a state-of-the-art proven radio with decade-long developed automotive software protocols.”