T-Mobile 5G to power self-driving vehicles next year
A private T-Mobile 5G network will be used to power autonomous shuttles that will transport visitors to Jacksonville along a three-mile ride from the stadium that hosts the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, EverBank Stadium, to a new waterfront hub. The shuttles will rely on a 5G private network offered by T-Mobile to make the ride back and forth via self-driving technology.
Other connectivity technologies, such as Wi-Fi, have a short reach limiting the reliability and the scalability of the fleet. Thus, using an Advanced 5G network is the key to making this autonomous transit system work.
5G from T-Mobile will power autonomous shuttles in Jacksonville, Florida. | Image credit-T-Mobile
T-Mobile explains that its 5G private network will provide "highly secure, reliable two-way communications between the shuttles and the command center." This includes real-time telemetry data collected from onboard sensors and audio and video feeds to connect employees with passengers. All of this, T-Mobile adds, will be "on the largest and fastest 5G network in America."
"5G is the key that will unlock the autonomous vehicle future that science fiction has teased us with for years. Because T-Mobile 5G offers the flexibility to build dynamic solutions like a 5G private network, our customers can actually build the future they envision, not just imagine it. I’m excited to see how this solution will support a thriving urban corridor and give visitors convenient and futuristic transportation options."-Mishka Dehghan, SVP, Strategy, Product, and Solutions Engineering, T-Mobile Business Group
The beauty of the plan is that no additional infrastructure needs to be built since the advanced 5G network will be placed alongside the power and fiber solutions that are used by the waterfront project. You can expect to see the shuttles on the road by the middle of next year and they will eventually help take passengers to neighborhoods near the waterfront.
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