Qualcomm, with AT&T, Ford, and Nokia, to test connected car tech in San Diego
Qualcomm on Tuesday announced that it's partnering with AT&T, Ford and Nokia to test its new Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology on the roads of San Diego later this year.
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Back in September, Qualcomm unveiled its 9150 C-V2X chipset and reference design.
The tests are the first announced V2X trials in the US, Qualcomm says. C-V2X technology encompasses two transmission modes -- direct communications and network-based communications -- to enable a vehicle to communicate with other cars and infrastructure around it. It's key for both vehicle safety features and for implementing autonomous driving capabilities.
Qualcomm is headquartered in San Diego, and the San Diego region is one of 10 places that the US Department of Transportation has authorized as an automated vehicle proving ground.
For this trial, the parties involved will test out Ford cars installed with C-V2X platforms that use the Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X solution for direct communications. That will be complemented by AT&T's 4G LTE network communications as well as an intelligent transportation solutions (ITS) platform that leverages wireless base stations and multi-access edge computing technology from Nokia. ITS provider McCain, Inc. will help integrate the new technologies with existing and emerging traffic signal control infrastructure.
According to Qualcomm, the goal of the trials is to demonstrate the potential of C-V2X technologies in terms of improving automotive safety, automated driving, and traffic efficiency. The trials should also illustrate to carmakers and road operators the cost-efficiencies that come with embedding cellular technology in cars.
"C-V2X provides a reassuring path to technology advancements necessary to support emerging developments in autonomy, automated driving, and mobility," Don Butler, executive director of connected vehicle and services at Ford Motor Company, said in a statement. "We are keen to investigate all aspects of this opportunity and support cross industry efforts that make that possible."
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