How are mobility startups adopting 5G?
What’s all the buzz about 5G?
In a report by f5, over 100 operators have launched 5G networks in 48 countries as of December 2020. And, it is expected that 5G will become accessible to 1 billion users in the next 3 or 4 years. While operators worldwide strive to achieve their promise of delivering 5G in the near future, several industries are transforming due to the technology’s ability to provide wider network coverage, more stable internet connections, and faster data transfer speeds. The mobility sector has already jumped on the bandwagon seeking incredible enhancements in their existing systems.
5G — a gamechanger for the mobility industry and its startups
In mobility, transportation services ranging from public buses to private logistic fleets is fast gaining increased visibility. In an interesting report by the World Bank Group, the study predicts significant changes in the industry that range from the rise of connected and autonomous vehicles to improvements in logistics and urban transportation with the implementation of MaaS platforms. With more than $115 billion in investments going into mobility startups, enthusiasts are gearing up for a series of innovations in the field, all thanks to 5G. To get a sense of how 5G technology can influence mobility tech startups, let’s take a look at Commsignia.
The company was founded in 2012 by Andras Takacs, Jozsef Kovacs, Laszlo Virag and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. And, as of 15th August 2019, they have raised €11,70 M in funding for their end-to-end V2X solutions. They are designed to enable the latest traffic safety deployments and autonomous vehicle functions through its state-of-the-art sensor data sharing middleware.
It goes without saying that 5G mobile networks will be key to providing connectivity for vehicle to vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communications. Here’s how Commsignia leverages 5G in more detail:
While 5G coverage increases as more infrastructure across countries comes into play, vehicles can be preinstalled with V2X software and electronics. And, that’s exactly what Commsignia supplies to car manufacturers. These vehicles can then be used to send long range or short range V2X messages over 5G networks. With faster connectivity speeds, ultra-low latency and greater bandwidth, important messages that are essential to traffic safety can be sent to vehicles quickly so they can respond to unexpected situations in real-time.
Commsignia’s solution can aggregate information from different data sources, including suppliers’ cloud databases, infrastructure data from roadside sensors and cameras, and from V2X-enabled vehicles. Ultimately, their solution offers more precise warnings and opens up the possibility of notifications reaching more drivers while enhancing road safety.
“Connected cars will shape the future of individual mobility, and next generation mobile networks will take car‑to‑x connectivity to a new level.”
– Alfons Pfaller, Head of Infotainment Development, AUDI AG
Taking things one step further is FermataEnergy. It was founded to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles on the road while also transitioning to renewable energy on the grid. Their V2X technology uses EVs as energy storage assets to combat climate change, and dramatically lower the cost of EV ownership. The startup now uses 5G to perform V2X activities in conjunction with their energy management software. They then proved 5G’s ability to react to changes in the grid based on near real-time data and with near-zero latency.
Well, there’s more that can be done with 5G. For instance, EVpassport in partnership with Verizon and Newlab have launched the world’s first 5G-powered EV charging platform. According to reports, the company has successfully used 5G to reduce latency in charging sessions and orchestrate the charging stations in real-time to rebalance load based on the vehicles’ charging levels. For example, by prioritizing vehicles with a lower charge.
Conclusion
We have seen how Commsignia, FermataEnergy, EVpassport amongst others have taken the first steps towards deploying 5G in their technology and I hope you are just as excited as I am to see what the others have in store for us. While it is impossible to foresee all potential applications of 5G enabled mobility, be assured that startups in conjunction with 5G network operators are going to bring about incremental innovations that are going to transform the future of mobility.
About StationX
StationX is Siemens Mobility’s very own venture client unit that fosters partnerships between startups that offer unique technologies and our business units. The aim is to scale together and create business impact for both sides. Know more here: Link.
