5G NR, which evolved from LTE V2X, is expected to become a communication technology that can further enhance the safety of autonomous driving in the future.

Min Kyung-wook, director of the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), said that when 5G NR is developed and introduced, latency will be reduced by about 100 times compared to LTE V2X, to 1-3 ms, which will be of great help in ensuring the safety of autonomous driving.

Communications for autonomous driving are also evolving to enable the transmission of more data in real time with less latency.

In the past there was WAVE, now there is LTE V2X, and in the future there is 5G NR V2X.

The existing LTE V2X technology has a limitation in that its performance deteriorates when there are many communication devices in the vicinity, and improves when there are few, but it has a latency of about 100ms.

5G NR's latency is expected to be dramatically reduced to 1-3ms, which will likely play a major role in ensuring safety, which is the top priority in autonomous driving.

Regarding the difference between 5G for mobile phones and V2X, he explained that the frequency bands are different, and while 5G for mobile phones is charged, the frequency band is provided free of charge for vehicle-to-vehicle communication or communication between infrastructure and vehicles.

He also shared information about autonomous driving infrastructure.

Infrastructure may also be equipped with cameras, lidar or radar sensors. These sensors have a sensing range, and the communication also has its own coverage range.

Current communication coverage is about 1 km, but sensing coverage is as long as 200 m, or even as short as 100 m.

He said that the location where the infrastructure is installed should be given priority at intersections where autonomous vehicles may have blind spots, and that the base stations of the infrastructure should be placed taking into account communication coverage and sensing coverage.

Director Min Kyung-wook said, “We will do our best to achieve the goal of Level 4 by developing autonomous driving recognition/judgment/control software that is safer in various irregular environments, rainy environments, and night environments by 2027,” and “If the public encourages and supports our technological development, we will be more motivated and work hard on research and development.”

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