V2X, which stands for Vehicle-to-Everything communication, is a technology that allows vehicles to communicate with different elements in their environment, such as other vehicles, antennas in the road, traffic lights, etc.; the idea is to prevent accidents and implement advanced use cases in vehicles and across a city or freeway.
V2X has been around for some years, but lately, it’s been gaining a lot of momentum due to certain developments such as the imminent arrival of 5G to the most developed countries and the boom of autonomous driving. Another important development is China’s huge investment and interest in implementing this technology across highways all over the country, and at the same time, China has a huge stake in promoting 5G technology.
As stated in the V2X (Vehicle to Everything) and CVIS (Cooperative Vehicle Infrastructure System) Industry Report, 2021:
“In 2021, China government has issued the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035, and the National Comprehensive Three-dimensional Transportation Network, indicating that in the 15 years to come, China should lead the world in intelligent connected vehicle (intelligent vehicle, autonomous driving, CVIS) by providing full coverage of spatio-temporal information service and transportation perception, and defining China’s “CVIS + autonomous driving” technology roadmap.”
The other factor boosting this technology is the race for autonomous driving, which is in every major car manufacturer’s strategic plan.
So, between car manufacturers, the race for 5G deployment and China’s plan to lead the tech advancements in V2X all indicate that this is going to be a heavily used technology in the next few years.
V2X Use Cases
Let’s take a look at some of the use cases:
- V2I – Traffic lights alerting vehicles to adjust their speed due to an impending light change
- V2V – Warnings issued between vehicles to prevent collisions
- V2V – Traffic or hazard alerts shared between vehicles
- V2P – Safety warnings to pedestrians or cyclist
- V2V- Alerts of Emergency vehicles approaching
- V2I – Speed limit alerts
- V2X – Enablement of autonomous vehicles through V2X feedback
The use cases are very interesting, and all in all, they focus on making traffic in the cities more efficient, and security is a central element of this technology.
The synergy between 5G and V2X
As far as when we are going to have this technology widespread around the globe, it really depends on a couple of variables, but probably the main driver is when full 5G networks are going to be available not just in cities but on highways and freeways across your country right?
The widespread implementation of V2X technology hinges on the availability of robust 5G networks, not just in urban areas but also on highways and freeways across various regions. The synergy between 5G and V2X is crucial, as 5G’s network slicing capabilities allow for dedicated resources within operator networks to support specific V2X use cases. This means the creation of dedicated network slices for vehicle communication and smart traffic control, paving the way for a safer and more efficient future on the road.
In the not-so-distant future, V2X technology is poised to have a profound impact on our daily lives, revolutionizing the way we travel and interact with our surroundings. With solutions like those offered by Intraway, which supports network slicing services in 5G networks, implementing V2X is becoming increasingly feasible and practical. As this technology continues to evolve, it promises to make our roadways safer, more efficient, and, ultimately, more connected.
