Skip to main content

New German cross-industry project to develop 5G vehicle applications

A new consortium, initiated by Ericsson in Germany, aims to create an infrastructure and real application environment on a motorway test track, to carry out tests in vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, digitisation of the railway infrastructure and other applications using 5G technology. The 30 kilometre test track consists of several construction sections on the 30 kilometre ‘digital test field motorway’ along the A9 motorway and the high speed rail track between Nuremberg and Greding. The in
November 22, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
A new consortium, initiated by 5650 Ericsson in Germany, aims to create an infrastructure and real application environment on a motorway test track, to carry out tests in vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, digitisation of the railway infrastructure and other applications using 5G technology.

The 30 kilometre test track consists of several construction sections on the 30 kilometre ‘digital test field motorway’ along the A9 motorway and the high speed rail track between Nuremberg and Greding. The infrastructure is already completed in the first partial sections, meaning that live tests can begin immediately.

The project operates within an independent infrastructure and is not dependent on any commercial network, meaning that 5G prototype applications can be installed and tested regularly, in various network configurations, at any time, without restrictions. The dedicated Ericsson 5G mobile network allows live tests of real time applications, even under extreme network loads, and at very high travel speeds. Test conditions, which are hardly ever found in commercially operated live networks, can be created.

Ericsson has received permission from the German Federal Regulatory Agency to use frequencies from the 700-MHz band and will act as a network operator.

Members of the 5G Connected Mobility consortium include Ericsson, BMW Group, Deutsche Bahn, all three German mobile network operators -Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica Deutschland and Vodafone, the TU Dresden 5G Lab Germany, the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) and the Federal Regulatory Agency (BNetzA). The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure and the Bavarian Road Construction Administration support the project.

The project aims to pool the knowledge, perspectives and recommendations gained from this partnership and further develop them with the focus on integration into international 5G standardisation activities.

Within the scope of 5G-ConnectedMobility, the consortium plans to develop use cases of associated vehicle applications, for vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, new methods of traffic information provision in real time and cross-manufacturer traffic control for automated vehicles.

Related Content

  • October 8, 2018
    Blockchain: the next big thing for ITS? Really?
    Everyone’s heard of blockchain – but most people are less sure about what it really is, and how it might be used in transportation. Andrew Williams peers into cyberspace to find some answers. A growing number of organisations in the ITS industry are exploring how blockchain technology could be used for ITS and mobility applications. So, what exactly is blockchain technology? What are the key current and potential applications in the mobility and ITS sector? And what practical benefits might it bring?
  • October 8, 2020
    Keolis uses 5G to remotely operate e-minibus
    Next phase of project in Stockholm will be carried out at Kista Science City
  • November 6, 2015
    GE and Deutsche Bahn partnership to optimise rail operations
    GE and Deutsche Bahn Energie (DB Energie) are partnering to optimise Deutsche Bahn’s rail network’s power supply. Working with DB Energie, GE Energy Management will provide the technology and expertise that will couple energy fed from the utility grid to the rail grid, ensuring a more efficient and constant power supply. The solution ensures efficient power conversion and high power quality, optimising rail system operations. Scheduled for delivery between 2017 and 2018, the converter station built by G
  • August 8, 2012
    One of the world’s largest C2X communication trials hits the road
    One of the largest ever field trials of car-to-X communication (C2X) is getting underway in Germany in a trial that consists of 120 vehicles that will take to the roads of the Rhine-Main region until the end of the year. Each car has a network link to the others, as well as to the traffic infrastructure, and they will keep each other updated about the current traffic situation.