UK major road set to become internet-connected highway

A partnership of the UK’s department for Transport (DfT), British telecom (BT) and Cambridge-based wireless firm Neul is working on a project to transform the A14 between Felixstowe and Birmingham into the country’s first internet-connected road. The smart road, which aims to prepare the country for future technology from wireless toll chargers to automated cars, will include a network of sensors along an eighty-kilometre stretch, with data transmitted over white space, temporarily unused gaps in the dig
October 4, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A partnership of the UK’s 1837 Department for Transport (DfT), British telecom (1974 BT) and Cambridge-based wireless firm Neul is working on a project to transform the A14 between Felixstowe and Birmingham into the country’s first internet-connected road.

The smart road, which aims to prepare the country for future technology from wireless toll chargers to automated cars, will include a network of sensors along an eighty-kilometre stretch, with data transmitted over white space, temporarily unused gaps in the digital terrestrial TV spectrum.

Independent communications regulator Ofcom has approved the project; according to the regulator, "sensors in cars and on the roads monitor the build-up of congestions and wirelessly send this information to a central traffic control system, which automatically imposes variable speed limits that smooth the flow of traffic. This system could also communicate directly with cars, directing them along diverted routes to avoid the congestion and even managing their speed."

In addition, the 1841 UK Highways Agency is planning to invest about US$2.4 billion to improve the A14, part of which may be tolled, which it hopes will tackle congestion and issues with journey time reliability.
Networking & Communication Systems Urban Traffic Control Charging, Tolling & RUC

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Terrestrial solution to stellar shortcomings
    December 5, 2013
    Inherent weaknesses in satellite communications are leading several countries to re-evaluate terrestrial-based backup systems. There is a tale frequently told in satellite navigation circles, of how landing systems at Newark Airport were disrupted by a truck driver using GPS jamming equipment as he drove along the New Jersey Turnpike. While there was no threat to flight safety as the interference to GPS reference stations being tested, the story highlights how apparently benign threats have the potential t
    Read More
  • Vehicles to become the new living space, say researchers
    January 6, 2017
    Improvements in advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) sensors are driving automation features in original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vehicles. By collaborating with leading technology providers in the autonomous driving space, OEMs have an opportunity to transform into mobility service providers and introduce levels 4 and 5 autonomous cars earlier than expected, say Frost & Sullivan researchers. With several suppliers already at work on over-the-air upgrades, the adoption of this feature is expected be
    Read More
  • Reducing congestion with Tomtom's historical traffic data
    December 5, 2012
    Historical traffic data provided by TomTom is being used by the local government in Spain’s Basque region to reduce road congestion at less cost. Old habits die hard. Photos from as far back as the 1930s show people counting cars by the roadside in order to provide congestion data to those running road networks. Today, such techniques are still used, albeit augmented by a range of automation technologies such as inductive loops, infra-red sensors and number plate recognition. Even with these advances, howe
    Read More
  • UK must prepare for increased transport cyber-security threat, says TSC
    November 28, 2016
    The UK Transport sector needs to increase its focus on cyber-security in the face of rapidly emerging technological developments, according to Transport Systems Catapult (TSC). In a new report, supported by IBM, the Institute of Engineering Technology (IET), the Intelligent Mobility Partnership (IMPART) and the Digital Catapult, the TSC cites numerous trends in the realms of technology, cyber security, mobility, and society are all converging to make it a much more complex environment in which to deliver
    Read More

Highlighted Content