Vodafone has announced that it will provide 5G connectivity for the Midlands Future Mobility consortium which is to test autonomous vehicles on key test routes in the West Midlands region of the UK. According to Vodafone, more than 300 miles of road in the West Midlands will be involved in the trial.
Commenting on the news, Anne Sheehan, Business Director, Vodafone UK, said:
“5G will help revolutionise transport on our roads. The ultra-reliability and high bandwidth of 5G will enable new progress for connected and autonomous vehicles, and we are delighted to bring our state-of-the-art 5G network to the Midlands Future Mobility project.”
The Midlands Future Mobility route is described as the UK’s largest Connected and Automated Mobility testbed. The route includes major city centres such as Birmingham and Coventry, as well as major transport links such as HS2 (under construction) and Birmingham International Airport.
With the route covering urban and rural areas, including highways, many different technologies will be able to be trialed including Low Speed ‘shared space’ vehicles, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and autonomous vehicle technologies. The testing of these technologies will be made possible with Vodafone’s 5G connectivity which covers 80% of the route.
If you want to find out more about the Midlands Future Mobility project you can find information, videos, and an FAQ over on the project’s website.
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