- Businesses will trial driverless cars that use 5G and
satellite technology to stay connected.
5G could address many of the technical challenges faced by
driverless cars by providing stronger, faster and more
reliable data signals. While satellite technology can
augment 5G connectivity, allowing the vehicles to operate
safely in areas that suffer from poor mobile phone signal.
Reducing the time it takes for information to be sent and
received – the latency - compared to 4G is vital to the
development of these cars, and could slash the current 20
milliseconds of lag to 1 millisecond – the equivalent of a
camera flash.
Backed by funding from the UK Space Agency, the new lab –
based at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in
Oxfordshire – will invite businesses to test driverless
cars and use 5G and satellite technology to trial ways of
keeping vehicles connected.
With driverless cars and other new major applications
requiring seamless connectivity the UK Space Agency is
supporting companies to access satellite communications.
This is not only growing the UK space sector but opening it
up to companies that had previously not been able to access
space.
Science Minister said:
The UK’s space sector is applying pioneering technologies
such as satellite and 5G to essential products and
services that will help to transform our everyday lives.
I am incredibly excited that O2’s first of its kind
driverless car lab will enable our most innovative
businesses to test these technologies and bring us
another step closer to putting self-driving vehicles
safely on our roads.
At the site, O2 has already converted two Renault TWIZY
electric cars into driverless cars – dubbed ‘Connected
Autonomous Vehicles’ or CAVs – that are fitted with LIDAR
sensors which allow them to be controlled from the Lab and
driven around the Campus.
Using 5G equipment provided by Nokia and geosynchronous
communications satellites (GEOs) provided by Hispasat, the
satellite operator, O2’s team can remotely track the status
of each TWIZY, including their position, movement and
speed.
The 4G systems we are familiar with on our mobiles operate
with a throughput of about one gigabit (1,000,000,000 bits)
per second. By contrast, 5G has a data rate of 20 gigabits.
The lab forms part of Project Darwin – a four-year
programme backed by the UK Space Agency and the European
Space Agency.
Derek McManus, Chief Operating Officer at O2 said:
We’re delighted to announce that the Darwin SatCom Lab is
now open for business at Harwell Campus, allowing
companies to put theory into practice and test innovative
ideas using our connected and autonomous vehicles.
The Lab is further proof that O2 is at the forefront of
connectivity and accelerating Britain’s recovery by
helping British businesses to harness the power of 5G and
satellite communications in order to benefit their
customers.
It’s the next step in getting autonomous vehicles on the
road and making the UK’s transport network greener.
Antonio Franchi, 5G Strategic Programme Manager at the
European Space Agency said:
We are excited to continue working on 5G projects with
our partners, especially the Darwin SatCom Lab located on
the Harwell Campus, which is also home to the ESA’s
European Centre for Space Applications and
Telecommunications.
The Lab, showcasing the integration of 5G and satellite
communications for CAVs, is a great example of how
next-gen 5G networks will enable new applications and
services thanks to their ubiquity, security and
resilience.
