Creating a 'World Without Accidents' through Autonomous Vehicles Using 5G
'Ultra-high Speed, Ultra-low Latency, Ultra-connectivity' to Realize V2X and HD Maps

"Through 5G technology, autonomous driving will prevent traffic accidents and create a world without accidents, improving quality of life"

SK Telecom (hereinafter SKT) Park Jin-hyo, Head of ICT Technology, made this statement at a 5G autonomous vehicle demonstration conducted by SKT and the Korea Road Traffic Authority.

For safe and convenient autonomous vehicle operation, which SKT emphasized on this day, 5G implementation is essential. At CES 2017, Intel announced a 5G modem, signaling innovation in various fields such as wireless broadband and the Internet of Things. As a concern for mobile carriers, the automotive industry, and various companies, autonomous vehicle operation has the following characteristics.



First, ultra-high speed mobile communication. 5G supports bandwidth that is up to 1GHz wider and provides speeds of 20Gbps or higher. This is a 20-fold difference compared to 4G, which operates at 1Gbps speed. Public data such as vehicles, traffic volume, tunnels, and construction status, as well as surrounding environmental information, are transmitted and responded to at high speed. Through this data processing speed, it supports safe driving, as well as blind spot compensation and in-vehicle infotainment services.

Second, high-reliability ultra-low latency service. With 5G response latency that is one-tenth or less compared to 4G, response speed improves to 1ms (one-thousandth of a second). This enables real-time information to be processed immediately, allowing for intelligent response to various situations. This is why SKT was able to demonstrate the ability to detour and brake suddenly in road accident scenarios and school zone child jaywalking situations during the demonstration. For 4G, at a speed of 100km/h, the baseline latency is 0.03-0.05 seconds.

Finally, ultra-connectivity Internet of Things. For information transmission and processing and ultra-low latency, an ultra-connectivity network must be established first. SKT explained the characteristics of ultra-connectivity Internet of Things through a multi-collision accident scenario. When a leading vehicle detects a multi-collision accident, it transmits the accident information via 5G network to the control center and vehicles behind it. The trailing vehicle then reduces speed and changes its driving route to safely pass through the accident area. Data sharing based on connectivity makes this possible.



The characteristics of 5G are well-suited to the conditions for realizing Vehicle to Everything (V2X), a core element of autonomous vehicles. Along with SKT and KT's competition for 5G leadership, companies such as Samsung Electronics and Intel are putting effort into 5G-optimized services.

However, there are also problems to be solved. First, there is the security issue. SKT's Song Gwang-hyun, Head of Corporate PR Team, said, "Through quantum cryptography, we will block hacking attempts in communication between vehicles-control centers and Internet of Things," and "We plan to install security modules in autonomous vehicles soon." Unlike existing encryption methods where random number generation repeats at certain points, quantum cryptography does not cause random number repetition. However, it has the characteristic of being applied differently to each infrastructure such as transmission equipment, requiring cost-saving measures.

Additionally, regarding the HD map, which is one of SKT's autonomous vehicle strengths, legal issues may arise when collecting map data as personal information. Director Park Jin-hyo stated, "We are using the data after obtaining personal information consent and will continue to develop while actively reviewing legal concerns without privacy infringement."