CVIS looks to the future of mobile wireless communication

Date: 12 June 2006

Meeting on 24 May in ERTICO headquarters in Brussels, CVIS Partners and representatives of metropolitan wireless network vendors and operators discussed cooperation opportunities for the future.

CVIS is developing core technologies and an integrated platform for installation in the vehicle and roadside equipment to allow vehicles to interact with each other and with equipped roadside systems.  The platform is based on interoperable wireless communication standards such as Wi-Fi (wireless LAN), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), GSM/UMTS (2nd and 3rd generation cellular telephony), and infrared.

While the current Wi-Fi standard does not support mobile use, a version suitable for moving vehicles is being developed, and CVIS technologies will adopt this new ISO standard (“CALM”, or “continuous air interface for long and medium range communications”).

Metropolitan wireless network sector booming
Today, metropolitan wireless networks are being deployed in a rapidly growing number of cities throughout the world. The technologies used are a mix of “mesh networks” of many Wi-Fi hot-spots, each covering a few hundred metres, and a new standard called “Wi-MAX” that can provide wireless broadband connectivity over an area of several kilometres. Both these systems are much less expensive to deploy than a cellular network such as UMTS, and user terminals should also be available at reasonable cost.

The objective of the 24 May meeting was to encourage the suppliers and operators of metropolitan networks to adapt future infrastructure deployment to enable use by vehicles. If this is not done, there is a risk that tomorrow’s vehicles, equipped with a CVIS-compliant network platform, will not be interoperable with the existing metropolitan wireless networks.

At the meeting, CVIS Partners presented the requirements to enable such interoperability and thereby allow vehicle-based users to take advantage of city-wide broadband connectivity. Topics of discussion included frequency allocation, the co-existence of different network media, mobile Internet access, authentication issues, data security and support for geo addressing (addressing vehicles by their location rather than their network address).

Cooperating for mutual benefit
Among the key players present at the meeting, were CVIS partners Efkon, Volvo Technology and Q-Free. Metropolitan wireless system vendors included Cisco Systems, LastMile Communications and Skypilot, while Traffic Wales attended as a potential wireless network operator. DaimlerChrysler represented the Car-to-Car Communication Consortium.

There was broad agreement among participants that increased cooperation would be beneficial for all involved. A decision was therefore taken to start a contact group that will meet at regular intervals in order to maintain a dialogue between the players active in the area of city-wide wireless communication. The intention is to build this group into a comprehensive and representative grouping of stakeholders in the field, and work towards the mutual adoption of fully interoperable technologies.

For more information, please visit the CVIS website or contact Project & Development Manager Zeljko Jeftic.