Skip to main content

Smart communities require 5G, says Samsung Electronics America

A community has to have 5G in order to be a smart community, which means having a regulatory environment which is conducive to investment. This was among the key messages at 5G and Self-Driving Vehicles: A Policy Roadmap at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show 2019 in las Vegas, US. John Godfrey, senior vice president, public policy, at Samsung Electronics America, said communities have a role to play in partnering with the private sector in using 5G. “A way to improve to improve the safety of s
January 11, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

A community has to have 5G in order to be a smart community, which means having a regulatory environment which is conducive to investment.

This was among the key messages at 5G and Self-Driving Vehicles: A Policy Roadmap at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show 2019 in las Vegas, US.

John Godfrey, senior vice president, public policy, at 1809 Samsung Electronics America, said communities have a role to play in partnering with the private sector in using 5G.

“A way to improve to improve the safety of streets in a smart community is to allow 5G enabled sensors along the roadways for traffic management, and connected vehicles which are sharing information with each other and with the road system through cellular spectrum,” Godfrey added.

Takedra Mawakana, chief external officer at 8621 Waymo, said a 5G network will enable users to hail a Waymo car and communicate with the company’s rider support team.

However, she explained that cities are worried about how to plan for the next ten years if we have self-driving cars.

“Will this technology be deployed on buses and railway and if so how does the city think about the urban environment and rural areas, because all of a sudden you don’t have to have those cars full in order for it to be economically viable,” Mawakana added.

Going forward, Godfrey recommended that Congress could help by passing infrastructure legislation to improve roads in the US.

“While you’re at it, why not make sure that those roadways have fibre or wireless in the roads and sensors associated with them and roadside units for connected vehicles,” Godfrey suggested.

Melissa Tye, vice president, public policy at Verizon, emphasised that the US’ national approach to privacy is not working.

“We’re hopeful that Congress will pass federal privacy legislation in 2019 that gives consumers assurance and a better understanding of how their data is being used in ways that they’re aware of and that companies are being transparent,” Tye added.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • More thought needed on ITS privacy and data protection
    February 27, 2012
    It's long been the case that policy should drive technology and not the other way round.
  • Connecticut Transit uses web feedback to improve user experience
    May 27, 2014
    Connecticut champions open government and open data to help fostertransparency, accountability and citizen engagement – and that includes transportation matters as Andrew Bardin Williams discovers. The last thing anyone wanted was to inconvenience or displace others - least of all people who lived and worked in the neighbourhood. Yet, workers in an office building in downtown New Haven, Conn., were tired of shuffling through hoards of people who kept sitting on the stoop to the building while waiting for th
  • BMW to switch to Here HD map for future self-driving vehicles
    February 22, 2018
    German-based BMW Group (BMW) has confirmed it will integrate Here’s HD Live Map into its self-driving cars from the beginning of the next decade to enable them to operate with level three and four automated capabilities. The project aims to enhance safety for drivers and passengers. The map is designed with the intention of providing a more precise solution than navigation systems and is said to be updated more rapidly, drawing on data from a growing list of partners across the automotive industry.
  • ADN’s Bled SaaS option eases driver stress
    July 23, 2019
    ADN Mobile Solutions has developed a technology-plus-training tool for bus operators which it says will reduce driver stress, cut emissions and improve the bottom line Public transit is at the heart of future urban mobility. The focus here is, quite rightly, on improving the experience for riders – but there is someone else in the chain who might be overlooked, despite being vital to the success of any operation: the driver. Bus drivers, for example, have a difficult job, combating congestion and the