5G Technology is set to transform the way we work, live and travel, with faster and more reliable networks promising a wide range of breakthroughs. 5G networks are a part of the ‘smart city’ development, autonomous vehicles, and connected driverless cars for seamless travel.
New Era of 5G Technology
The global market for connected cars is projected to rise drastically in the near future. The upcoming wireless data evolution with the fifth-generation data network will be the most significant network advancement. 5G has the potential to connect everything in a high-speed network, quick response, and worldwide reach. Technologies such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and the internet of things can make use of such a robust network.
5G has much to offer in the area of the connected cars by allowing the download of high-quality content while in movement within a few milliseconds. It enables sensor sharing for enhanced learning by an autonomous car. These cars can consume up to 4TB of information per day and can be transferred to the system in the cloud. The users like other vehicles on the road, traffic controllers and people walking can benefit from the learning and the most appropriate reactions to different events.
In the traffic situation composed of a fleet of connected cars, the information between the vehicles and the control center is exchanged through 5G. It provides maximum latency and dedicated bandwidth, which is not available with current generation of 3G or 4G mobile networks.
Advantage of Connectivity
Connected cars are becoming reality soon for unique traveling experience with an estimated number of around twenty-one million. These cars are loaded with sophisticated systems that can monitor engine and maintenance issues, and can contact the emergency services. It can also have its own apps for unlocking. Connectivity, of course, is a key component of SDVs, or software-defined vehicles. So what is a software-defined vehicle? SDVs are vehicles whose features and functions are primarily enabled through software–a transformation that represents automobiles’ shift from being mainly hardware-based products to becoming software-centric electronic devices on wheels.
Standalone mode of 5G has lower latencies which will be playing an important role in the commercialization of driverless cars later in the next decade. Automated vehicles and connected cars need to communicate with each other to reduce traffic congestion and accidents or collisions. They need to recreate the situational awareness of a human driver using radars and cameras to analyses surroundings. Connected autonomous cars will generate, send and receive high volumes of data, which will need to capabilities of 5G to process information in real-time about traffic, environmental conditions.
Data-Driven Personal Services
Real-time participation in live musical concerts and online gaming, real-time video interactions will be possible through 5G technology. The smartphone is set to become a supercomputer with artificial intelligence, high-bandwidth connection. People will prefer to be passengers rather than a driver in the automated cars that are driven by 5G technology. The higher bandwidth offered by 5G could turn cars into entertainment systems and 5G into new driver. These cars can be mini -theaters on wheels where the group of friends and co-travelers will have an immersive experience.
Technology giants such as Uber, Waymo, Tesla, and Toyota have tested the driverless cars on roadways. Baidu and China Mobile have declared that they would be developing a platform that will use 5G technology for the connected driverless cars. Many business leaders in the automobile industry believe that driverless cars will become common once 5G technology is implemented at ground levels. By 2020, 5G connectivity will be available for cars but overall penetration will be high only after 2022 when its network coverage becomes universal. When it comes to driverless cars, high speed and strong data processing capabilities are needed to impersonate the timings of human reflexes. 5G technology is the missing link in this process to rule the global mobile communications and will become the standard for data communication in the next decade.
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