5G-MOBIX in a nutshell

5G-MOBIX EU-funded Innovative Action (2018-2022) brings together 60 partners from 13 countries from the EU and Turkey, China and Korea, to develop and evaluate automated vehicle functionalities using 5G core technological innovations along two cross-border corridors and six urban trial sites.

The trials allow assessment of the benefits of 5G for connected and automated mobility (CAM) applications such as cooperative overtake, highway lane merging, truck platooning, remote driving and vehicle Quality of Service support.

Achieving the full potential

Many of these applications, already developed in controlled situations, are tested for the first time in real cross-border environments. The CAM applications realized in 5G-MOBIX exploit the capabilities of Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) infrastructures and explore the interworking of multi-operator deployments in the context of cross-border corridors. This brings new technical insights and new markets for CAM application and edge service developers.

The problem drives the solution

Various protocols, scenarios and 5G features are tested under diverse traffic, network coverage, and service demand conditions, as well as considering the inherently distinct legal, business, and social aspects at each site. Their performance is evaluated in the context of (1) cross-border issues, i.e. challenges towards seamless cross-border CAM functionality over 5G, ranging from telecommunication infrastructure, application security, to privacy and regulatory issues; and (2) the most promising solutions identified to address these. The 5G-MOBIX initiative’s holistic view on evaluation considers a wide range of technical aspects (from radio, network, up to application level), inter-playing impact factors, as well as alternative approaches to specific technical solutions.

Knowledge is power

5G-MOBIX trial sites deployment provides unprecedented capability to test these solutions and configurations, as well as to test the interoperability between different systems and components. In addition, they also provide insights, lessons learned and best practices (including on the collaborative approach between trial sites inside and outside Europe), which are expected to have a significant impact on the 5G for CAM Research & Development.

For mobile operators, the cooperation with operators from neighbouring countries, as well as road operators, brings valuable insights for future trials. The field trial results and specifications bring them unparalleled knowledge on current limitations, particularly in the field of seamless roaming and cross network interconnection. They also reveal missing functionalities and future developments needed for the configuration and deployment of 5G networks that enable cross-border corridors.

This intelligence regarding 5G performance in Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) operations provides a realistic picture of the technology capabilities and demands today. Combined with the specifications of 5G-augmented vehicle and roadside infrastructure architecture, this information can also be of interest to the automotive industry and transport operators to guide further development and deployment.

Closing the gaps

5G-MOBIX also investigates non-technical aspects such as standards and regulations, which have a significant effect on the roll-out and development of 5G for CAM. An analysis of the EU regulatory landscape for autonomous vehicles (e.g. infrastructure requirements, rules for roaming charges, data privacy and security aspects) highlights the standardisation and policy gaps.

In addition to policy analysis, a comprehensive breakdown of the variety of costs associated with 5G roll-out is performed, and the value chain that arises from 5G/CAM services and associated business models is estimated.

A deployment study has been carried out across five major corridors, which provides a good picture of current and planned deployments as well as the investment delta necessary to support advanced CAM services in cross border regions.