In an strategically important development that will define the 5G standard, Germany’s top car manufacturers have joined hands with major telecom network equipment manufacturers to create and set the upcoming 5G standard which will be extensively used in tomorrow’s self-driven vehicles.
In a significant and strategic development, German car manufacturers, Daimler, Audi and BMW launched an alliance with major telecom network equipment manufacturers, including Nokia, Qualcomm, Intel, Huawei and Ericsson, to accelerate the development of infrastructure which will be needed for autonomous automated vehicles.
This is significant since this is yet another example of Germany’s high profile car manufacturers collaborating to build and harness their technical expertise to take on new rivals who include Google and Uber. Google has been pioneering autonomous self-driving technology.
Branded as the 5G Automotive Association, this new alliance will “develop, test and promote communications solutions, support standardization and accelerate commercial availability and global market penetration,” reads a joint statement by the companies involved.
One of the aims of 5G is to create standards for the next generation of connected devices which will operate and interact with each other through the Internet of Things (IoT). Speeds, reliability and better connectivity are the promise of 5G.
According to network equipment manufacturers, Nokia and Ericsson, 5G technology is being currently developed. It could be made available as early as next year. However, mass upgrades to mobile networks is expected only around 2020.
Incidentally, in 2015, Volkswagen’s Audi, BMW, and Daimler combined forces to acquire HERE, a digital map creator for $3.15 billion (2.8 billion euros) from Nokia. Sometime later this week, these vehicle manufacturers plan on introducing a service that allows drivers to see for themselves road conditions lying before them using live data contributed by other vehicles.
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