Washington DC - General Motors plans to begin testing new Cisco technology that could allow “talking” cars to share radio communication bands with roadside Wi-Fi devices.
Global Connected Customer Experience director Harry Lightsey said on Wednesday the technology could hold out the promise of allowing Wi-Fi devices to share the same radio band as vehicle-to-vehicle safety systems without causing interference.
GM intends to deploy V2V technology in its 2017 Cadillac CTS sedans.
“We are very optimistic about a sharing proposal from Cisco that would operate on a 'listen, detect and vacate' basis,” Lightsey said. “We have engaged with Cisco and plan to begin testing their technology as soon as possible.”
V2V technology would allow cars to talk to each other and avoid collisions, using the 5.9 GHz radio spectrum to share information about their relative positions, speeds, headings and braking status and warning drivers of possible risks. Safety regulators believe the technology could provide warnings in 80 percent of car accidents involving more than one vehicle.
E-COMMERCE CONCERNS
But e-commerce companies have pressed for a share of the same spectrum for roadside Wi-Fi services, a prospect that some in the industry say could interfere with V2V systems and prevent them from operating properly.
Cisco global transportation executive Barry Einsig said the company's “The Internet of Everything” envisions a communications network connecting cars and other vehicles with each other and roadside entities including police and other emergency responders.
“Once vehicle-to-vehicle communications are widely installed in cars and light trucks as a safety measure, the private sector and our public sector partners, will respond swiftly to bring the full set of benefits to market,” he said.
US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said in May that auto regulators would propose a rule by year-end requiring V2V-technology in vehicles. He also said his department would complete a preliminary test plan to determine whether the V2V spectrum could be shared with other entities.
Reuters