A number of telecoms and automotive industry associations have joined forces in a “large-scale, pre-deployment project to test connected and automated driving at the EU level”.

Work will focus on three main areas: automated driving, road safety and traffic efficiency, and the digitisation of transport and logistics. Functions under consideration include “high density platooning” (vehicles following others closely), cooperative collision avoidance, remote control parking, local hazard warnings and traffic flow optimisation.

Starting next year, work will run in two phases. The first stage – running to 2019 – will feature tests on available communication technology (namely 4G LTE). A second phase – running to 2021 – will look at both 4G and 5G, “bearing in mind that different functionalities have different network requirements”.

Aspects such as safety, cyber-security and protection of personal data, quality of service and network latency will be prioritised and addressed, a statement said.

Also noted was the “European dimension”, with use cases operated across several EU countries and setting the scene for future standardisation activities. Among the issues to be addressed are “cross-border challenges such as the lack of harmonised spectrum, seamless network handover of vehicles at borders and open road infrastructure data”.

The consortium, to be set up later this year, will define the exact scope of the project and start talks with EU and national authorities regarding possible co-financing.

Involved in the works are European Automobile Manufacturers Association (EAMA), European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), European Telecommunications Network Operators’ Association (ETNO), European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA) and GSMA.