5G networking: the effect on automotive

5G networking: the effect on automotive

Promising fast download speeds, better responsiveness and vastly increased capacity, fifth-generation (5G) networking is likely to revolutionise the automotive industry. Most specifically, its ability to provide a constant and
guaranteed connection will be fundamental to the development of autonomous vehicles (AVs).

The next iteration of mobile network will be far faster than the current 4G system. To put this into context, the first-generation cellular technologies of the 1980s were analogue and allowed voice only, while 2G in the Nineties
introduced text and picture messages. Third-generation networks saw the introduction of mobile data and video calling and the higher data speeds of 4G allowed for video streaming.

But with an ever-growing number of devices – from smartphones to personal assistant services such as Amazon Echo and connected cars – available on the so-called internet of things (IoT), a networking upgrade is greatly
needed. 5G promises faster download speeds; lower latency, which is the delay in data transfer when a user initiates a command; and vastly superior capacity, meaning more devices can be connected to it at one time with
little impact on the service experienced by other users.

A major advantage of the 5G network is that a non-standalone version will initially be built on top of the existing 4G infrastructure, meaning it can be deployed more quickly and efficiently than if the system were created from
scratch. This will then be expanded in stages, including as a standalone variant, over the coming years. In its 2018 Mobility Report, Ericsson predicted that 5G networking will cover more than 40% of the world’s population by
2024.

5G uses higher frequencies of the radio spectrum than 4G, which are less cluttered, more directional, and have a greater capacity for fast data. It also uses shorter wavelengths, which require smaller antennas that can
therefore be deployed in greater numbers on base stations. This greater proliferation of antennas also means more connected devices can be supported in one go than on a 4G network.

Key to the improved performance of the 5G network will also be beamforming technology. Traditional 4G base stations fire signals in all directions, wasting energy, power and access to the internet. But beamforming uses the
greater multitude of antennas to identify the more efficient data-delivery route to a particular device and direct the signal accordingly.

This has two benefits, according to Stefano Sorrentino, master researcher at Ericsson Research. “The first one is that you have more energy exactly where you want, so you improve the quality of that link,” he says. “The second
is that you do not spread radiation in the direction where you do not have active receiver, meaning you reduce the interference towards other users.”

Among the first people likely to benefit are smartphone users, who could see data transfer speeds of about 10 times higher than 4G – meaning significantly faster image and video transmission. Lower latency will mean it will
be possible to watch virtual reality video or play real-time games with fewer glitches, while higher capacity and more bandwidth will let more devices communicate simultaneously.

5G’s full potential extends far beyond mobile phones. Indeed, many hail its arrival as a driving force behind what is being termed the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”. The network’s greater speeds, near-instant responsiveness and
improved capacity open up an expansive range of possible use cases, including in the automotive sector.

The initial benefits of 5G for drivers and carmakers are likely to be similar to those seen by smartphone users – that of quicker data transfers both in and out of the vehicles. Drivers can receive more detailed data, such as
traffic information, and media on the dashboard, while passengers in vehicles with an onboard entertainment system or wifi system will be able to easily stream videos during their journey.

But where 5G could prove particularly vital is in the development of both electric and driverless vehicles. Indeed, as Georg Schweighofer, leader of EU car sales at Qualcomm points out, 5G was the first networking standard to
be developed with automotive and IoT in mind, as well as the mobile sector.

A continuous connection to the internet could facilitate remote monitoring of an electric vehicle battery, for example, thereby improving energy efficiency and prolonging battery life. Meanwhile smart route planning, traffic
monitoring and faster data transfers with the surrounding infrastructure is likely to significantly increase driving range.

Fully-autonomous vehicles remain a long way off, with many in the industry agreeing that we are are currently at “level 2 autonomy” of a possible five. While the driver still retains some control of the vehicle, on-board
processing will remain more important than connectivity – particularly in areas with a weaker network.

5G-based communications will become increasingly crucial as self-driving cars assume more controls of safety-critical functions. AVs rely on systems such as remote sensing technology Lidar, cameras and sensors to detect
and respond to the environment around them, but none of them can see through obstacles and, at present, they all have limited range. Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, enabled by 5G, could help address such issues by
providing additional insights such as traffic information and real-time road mapping.

Eventually V2X connectivity will connect vehicles to everything on the road, including traffic lights, while vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication will let drivers, and the car itself, know what other road users are doing. At that
level of increased autonomy, possible use cases which could be unlocked by 5G include automatically routing traffic to reduce congestion and improve safety.

11
 5G networking: the effect on automotive

The potential benefits of 5G connectivity to the automotive sector, among others, are clear to see. But its main drawback is that the network isn’t quite ready to go yet. Many markets, including Australia, North America,
significant parts of Europe, have now deployed their initial 5G networks. Focussing on urban areas, experts say it could take some time for the technology to expand beyond cities and into rural areas.

But even when the technology is there, there are many other parties which will affect the speed and breadth of 5G’s roll-out, including network carriers, governments and regulators. “Ultimately it’s the mobile network operators
that have to launch,” says Schweighofer, of Qualcomm. It also depends on the licensing, or the auctions of the licences or the frequencies… so it’s not only if the technology is available but if the legal side and the regulatory
side allow for launch, and that may differ from country to country.”

Much of 5G’s deployment will also depend on network operators being confident they can recoup their investment in infrastructure, meaning its roll-out is likely to be driven to an extent by consumer demand and market
forces.

So too in the automotive sector, where markets and manufacturers are currently split between developing two kinds of non-interoperable V2X technologies – dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) versus cellular-
vehicle to everything (C-V2X), the latter of which is fully compatible with forthcoming 5G networks. DSRC has so far dominated the US connected-car market and also has the support of General Motors and VW, while China
and carmakers such as BMW and Ford are backing C-V2X. The success of 5G could help determine which technology triumphs in the future.

Superfast 5G networking is undeniably going to play an important role in all of our connected futures, even if mainstream consumer usage is still a long way off. But with development times of up to several years in the
automotive industry, carmakers will need to stay ahead of the game to capitalise upon its eventual arrival.

The 5GAA (Automotive Association)

The 5GAA association was launched in September 2016. Now currently counting Telefonica, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, AT&T, Huawei, Ford and BMW, amongst others in the membership. New member Savari, a V2X
innovator, has also joined. Its role in the group will be to help create standards that work across the industry as semi-autonomous cars and fully autonomous cars are tested and eventually sold.

Read about the security of 5G networking in its latest whitepaper.

12
Reproduced with permission of copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.