GCF Teams Up with 5GAA to Revolutionize C-V2X Technology

The Global Certification Forum (GCF) and the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) have teamed up to ensure the new cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) systems are reliable, safe, and work well together.

GCF, known for shaping wireless communication since 1999, and 5GAA, a key player in the automotive sector, are developing a certification program for the radio communication part of C-V2X. This will help create trusted applications that can run on it.

C-V2X tech is crucial for the automotive industry’s growth. It enables vehicles to communicate wirelessly with each other and with infrastructure, making transportation safer and more efficient. Certifying these systems to international standards reassures manufacturers and users about their reliability.

With this agreement, GCF has set up a program allowing companies to certify their C-V2X products, like onboard units (OBUs) and roadside units (RSUs), for PC5 mode-four functionality. This mode, standardized by 3GPP, lets vehicles and infrastructure communicate directly without a cellular network.

GCF’s CEO Lars Nielsen highlighted that GCF’s 20-plus years of wireless certification expertise combined with 5GAA’s automotive knowledge would create a top-notch certification program. This ensures safe and interoperable communication between vehicles, people, and networks.

This certification program will start with radio layer certification for PC5 mode four (vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure) and evolve to include LTE and 5G-based communications (V2N) over cellular networks. This progression leverages 5G’s enhanced capabilities.

5GAA’s CTO Maxime Flament expressed pride in partnering with GCF for this key certification phase, emphasizing its importance for building reliable C-V2X applications globally, paving the way for safer and more efficient transportation.

This certification program boosts confidence in interoperability among various stakeholders, like:
– Tier-one manufacturers ensuring their OBUs and RSUs work well together.
– Vehicle manufacturers counting on smart connectivity.
– Insurance companies possibly monitoring safe driving practices.
– Municipal traffic authorities trusting these systems to manage traffic smoothly.
– All road users, including cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers, benefiting from safer roads.