Vodafone has recently opened a 5G Mobility Lab at the Aldenhoven Testing Center in Germany which will be one of the first places in Europe to test out the actual usage of 5G.

Vodafone Group Head of Research and Development and Technology Strategy Luke Ibbetson explains.

“At Aldenhoven we will be testing C-V2X, a technology that will be a key transport safety feature as part of a future Intelligent Transport System that connects vehicles, roadside infrastructure and pedestrians.

“Vodafone is also a Board member of the 5G Automotive Association and our Group Research & Development team is working with the automotive industry to support the creation of ‘5G cars' incorporating C-V2X combined with low latency, high bandwidth network communications,” Luke said.

Together, 4G, C-V2X and 5G are expected to enable increasing degrees of automated and assisted driving, enabling a transformation in how vehicles are used and shared.

“There are also opportunities in future for operators to develop new car products, such as mixed reality projections on windscreens, augmented with data from the surrounding environment.

“This could, for instance, integrate with smart city infrastructure to show the location of the nearest electric car charging point, compare prices and help dynamically to manage demand on the energy grid,” Luke added.