Softbank completes first 5G connected car test

Non-standalone 5G networks have been successfully used to commercially operate connected cars in what Nokia is claiming to be a world first.

The technology saw SoftBank Corp transmit location information of surrounding vehicles at intersections with poor visibility, identify and notify testers of falling objects on the road, and relay and achieve secondary use of high-quality 4K video and images taken from test vehicles’ internal cameras at Honda’s Kamikawa-gun research and development site, according to Nokia. 

“These trials demonstrate that 5G technology can be successfully, safely and efficiently utilised in the connected car market,” Nokia Japan Head John Harrington said. 

The test marks “the first step in deploying Nokia’s 3GPP Release 15 compliant [technology] using commercial-level 256QAM high-order modulation and 4x4 MIMO radio equipment”, the company said.

The company believes 5G will be “capable of delivering the speed and capacity required to ensure vehicles can communicate and interact safely and efficiently on road networks”. 

High-bandwidth, low-latency 5G networks are critical for delivering the next generation of connected or fully autonomous road vehicles.

Nokia has said it hopes to ensure 5G can be fully used in the future connected car market, which is projected to reach over $225 billion by 2025.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/jirsak