How will 5G transform transport?
If 2019 was the year that 5G’s impact on transportation spluttered into life, then 2020 will see it move through the gears and start to transform the way we travel, from 5G-enabled cars to autonomous trains.
With its low latency, reliability and powerful connections, 5G’s impact on transportation is starting to take shape, and it’s on our roads where there’s the greatest sense of anticipation. While the arrival of the much-vaunted, fully autonomous vehicle is still some way away, most of the world’s major car brands are set to release new 5G-enabled models which link into the internet of things (IoT) and offer drivers and their passengers a wealth of new opportunities.
According to analysts Gartner, the share of cars actively connected to a 5G service will grow from a current base of 15 per cent to 74 per cent by 2023 and 94 per cent five years later. Jonny Culkin, automotive designer at design agency Seymourpowell, explains: “Manufacturers are looking to leverage all nascent IoT and blockchain that 5G will enable to create service and brand unique selling points to incentivise people to keep buying their vehicles.”
BMW, for example, has teamed up with Samsung to bring 5G connectivity to its iNext model and provide real-time information to drivers on road situations, based on high-resolution maps. VW’s new Golf is the manufacturer’s first new car to use Car2X technology, enabling it to communicate with other vehicles up to 800 metres away. While Volvo has announced the first steps to bring vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication technologies to its vehicles. The company is linking up with China Unicom to develop its 5G connectivity and by “talking to the infrastructure” says its cars will be able to detect traffic jams, when to slow down and when to take a detour.
As well as the potential to improve safety and in-car entertainment, 5G-enabled cars will also produce valuable data, says Culkin, which vehicle users will be able to sell back to manufacturers, governments and transport bodies. “The likes of Jaguar Land Rover are already encouraging schemes such as this, promoting the idea of ‘rewarding’ customers for their data, which will ultimately enable manufacturers to build better, more reliable vehicles,” he says.
Culkin also hopes this data will be made available to help improve the transport infrastructure as a whole, enabling independent transport bodies, councils and authorities to build a “digital twin” of our transport networks. “This digital sibling would eventually become a simulation tool for these bodies to take pre-emptive action to create a safer, more efficient system which should have a positive impact on all citizens,” he says.
When it comes to the railways, things are moving faster towards full automation.
