The Trends of 5G Transformation in the Automotive Industry
5G is the 5th generation of cellular wireless technology. Its main characteristics of ultra-high speed, low latency, and massive connectivity are introducing huge new changes to the automotive industry.
In 2022, the global 5G automotive and smart transportation market was worth around US$ 1.49 billion. According to Statista, the growth of 5G connected cars is estimated to increase by over 70% by 2025 up from 40% in 2020. In addition, the share of 5G connected cars will grow from 15% in 2020 to 74% in 2023. This clearly shows that the development of 5G connectivity in cars is already starting to revolutionise the automobile industry and redefine the future of cars.
Overview of C-V2X (5G cars)
5G technology is enabling a new generation of 5G-connected vehicles, generally known as Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X). C-V2X technology enables the Internet-of-Vehicle (IoV) network connectivity with and between vehicles (V2V), infrastructure (V2I), pedestrians (V2P), networks (V2N), and more.
Major network nodes of C-V2X
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Road Side Unit (RSU) – installed on street/road furniture, such as lamppost, allowing vehicle communicates with road side Infrastructures (V2I), such as traffic lights, and Networks (V2N)
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On Board Unit (OBU) – installed on vehicle, allowing Vehicle directly communication with another Vehicle, i.e. V2V, with ultra-low latency
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C-V2X network layer covers the road section with RSU installed on lamppost to overlay on 5G network layer. The dual C-V2X and 5G network layers ensure the network resilience and safety
Reliable and quick data transfers allow massive amounts of information to be transmitted to other devices immediately, providing real-time safety notifications. This is expected to massively reduce road accidents. In addition, 5G is regarded as a foundation for autonomous driving. And once it has become popular, traffic accidents due to driver error, fatigue, distraction, and other reasons are expected to be greatly reduced.
Top 4 Benefits of C-V2X
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More accurate GPS location detection
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Better control of traffic jams
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Higher level of road safety solutions
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Reduce transport emissions
Our 5G Technology in Hong Kong C-V2X Development
HKT is the first mobile operator in Hong Kong to use 5G SA network with network slicing for the trial of C-V2X applications on roads. This is also the first time that 5G SA technology has been used for a vertical industry application in Hong Kong.
HKT has been cooperating with ASTRI, Huawei and Qualcomm since 2017, to form the Smart Mobility Consortium (SMC). The key objective is to bring the C-V2X to Hong Kong roads to enhance road safety and efficiency, which is part of the Government’s overall Smart City Blueprint objectives.
The system is an innovative commercial-grade network that supports real-time communications between various road users (vehicles, pedestrians), roadside infrastructure (traffic light controller), and networks (fixed/wireless devices). The system can instantly detect road threats and alert vehicle drivers and other road users in real-time to prevent accidents.
*Photos (from left to right): 14 sets of C-V2X RSU installed locations in Shatin, RSU Installation on a Traffic Light Pole, HKT-ASTRI C-V2X RSU
The system was deployed in 2021 and has started roads testings. A well-designated 14 km route from the Hong Kong Science Park to Shatin town was created. This is one of the largest C-V2X public road tests in the world. HKT provided the solutions for the C-V2X network topology, RSUs, testing vehicles, end-to-end network connectivity, C-V2X network operation support and safety use case testing support.
HKT’s 5G technology has the largest 5G spectrum in Hong Kong, providing the most ultra-fast, stable and reliable networks and massive connectivity for different businesses in different industries. HKT is without doubt the best 5G network provider for your company’s digital transformation.
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