Europe thinks back: connected cars, better 5G

At a time when the large automotive industry is getting closer and closer to the hi-tech sector's giants, the subject of linked vehicles carries sway even in European institutions ' schools. The discussion focuses on the best technology to be adopted to develop tomorrow's vehicles ' systems and solutions: WiFi or 5 G? If an opinion had come in favor of the first from Brussels in April, things now seem to have changed.

Europe: 5 G and not WiFi for connected cars According to a Union spokesman on the pages of Reuters, the representatives of Italy, Germany and France have expressed their support for 5 G, and have therefore strongly rejected the Commission's prior suggestions. Better to identify rules that take into consideration how mobile networks of the new generation will quickly be operational across the continent, thus not placing a brake on innovation from a far-sighted view that understands how to look at the long term. On Monday, July 8, the ministers of the member nations will meet again to give their view and officially dismiss the April proposition.

A victory for those who sought such a decision immediately: BMW, Daimler, Ford, Qualcomm, PSA Group, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel and Samsung, without forgetting the European Telecommunications Network Operators (ETNO), which brings together the largest operators in the EU and 5GAA (5 G Automotive Association). On the other side, Volkswagen, Renault, Toyota, NXP, Autotalks and Kapsch TrafficCom are paid for WiFi.

A choice for the industry's future The final choice will be very crucial because the industry's next advances are at risk. V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle), V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure) and V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) techniques as well as sophisticated infotainment solutions have been discussed so far, but until car manufacturers can refer to a shared standard capable of ensuring interoperability and communication between distinct devices, it will not be feasible to discuss true innovation.

There is also autonomous driving at the doors. The ability to exchange information with other vehicles and the surrounding infrastructure will be crucial for self-driving cars, thus ensuring the greatest possible amount of reliability. What Europe is called upon to do today is to create a decision, set the course, set the course to follow, even if we know that we are angry by someone who will undermine huge interests.