Qualcomm, AT&T, Ford, and Nokia have announced the first cellular V2X (vehicle to everything) trials in the United States.
The tests are expected to take place in the San Diego Regional Proving Ground, with support from McCain, an intelligent transportation solutions provider, and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) among others.
The move comes precisely two months after Qualcomm launched what it called a ‘groundbreaking’ cellular-V2X technology to ‘help pave a path for the future of autonomous driving.’ The Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X chipset aims to offer the industry ‘enhanced V2X capabilities’, included extended communication range and improved reliability.
The four companies will work together thus: C-V2X platforms are set to be installed in Ford vehicles using Qualcomm’s 9150 C-V2X, with 4G LTE communications provided by AT&T, and Nokia offering wireless base stations and multi-access edge computing technology.
“Leveraging the evolution of embedded cellular technologies for V2X communications holds great potential to advance safety benefits to all road users,” said Cameron Coursey, AT&T Internet of Things vice president in a statement. “Working with industry leaders, such as Ford, Nokia, Qualcomm Technologies, and state and local government agencies, we will together lead the way to safer, more secure, cost-effective, and efficient next-generation solutions.”
“The advancement of cellular technology for C-V2X applications is very encouraging,” said Don Butler, Ford executive director of connected vehicles and services. “This technology promises to meet, and in some cases, exceed the performance requirements of vehicle communication being proposed by relevant government agencies while leveraging existing in-vehicle connectivity frameworks.”
Elsewhere, AutoNation, America’s largest automotive retailer, has partnered with Waymo, formerly Google’s self-driving car project, to support the latter’s autonomous vehicle program. “Both companies have a shared vision of enhancing the in-car experience of our customers,” said John Krafcik, Waymo chief executive in a statement. “With its compelling national footprint, modern facilities and trained technicians, AutoNation will help assure that Waymo vehicles are always in top condition as we bring fully self-driving cars to the public.”
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