Vodafone has built a private 5G network for the automotive experts at HORIBA MIRA to test connected cars.
The high speeds and low latency of 5G networks are unlocking new possibilities for connected vehicles. HORIBA MIRA partnered with Vodafone to deploy a 5G network at its Midlands headquarters so it can explore and develop some of these opportunities.
HORIBA MIRA has over 70 years of experience in developing iconic vehicles. The company’s facilities in Nuneaton are some of the most advanced in the world.
Chris Reeves, Head of Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Technologies at HORIBA MIRA, says:
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Vodafone in bringing 5G to our Nuneaton headquarters, which, working alongside automakers around the world over the last decade, puts us at the forefront of developing and verifying cutting-edge driverless technologies.
As the self-driving industry transitions from developing standalone autonomous vehicles, to delivering self-driving vehicles that can communicate with each other and the surrounding infrastructure, having access to Vodafone’s 5G technology is a huge boost for the sector as a whole. It will enable us to work and collaborate with the industry’s biggest players to ensure their technologies are safe, robust, convenient, and efficient to hit our roads in the near future.”
Vodafone and HORIBA MIRA will work together to ensure 5G networks are ready to handle the demands of connected cars and unlock their potential.
Beyond vehicle-to-vehicle communications, the partners will also seek to improve the performance of connectivity between vehicles and roadside infrastructure.
Early possibilities include the ability to better coordinate emergency responses and ensure first-responder vehicles have a clear path. Logistics could also be improved by forming cooperative groups that help to ensure no more vehicles than necessary are doing a particular leg of a journey.
Anne Sheehan, Business Director at Vodafone UK, commented:
“Our 5G technology makes self-driving vehicles on our roads not just a possibility, but a reality. This mobile private network will play a huge role in supporting HORIBA MIRA’s cutting edge work on the development and testing of driverless technologies.”
HORIBA MIRA is a key member of the Automotive Council which oversees the UK’s strategy on driverless vehicles. Vodafone, meanwhile, announced in October that it would deploy 5G across 300 miles of test routes as part of the Midlands Future Mobility consortium.
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