Trade Show Reveals New Car Communication Technology

A new wireless communication technology for cars was revealed in the recently held Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019. The technology, called cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X), allows cars to communicate with infrastructure, pedestrians, and other cars. It was developed by Qualcomm Technologies in hopes of improving traffic situations and ensuring road safety. Using high-speed Internet, C-V2X enables vehicles to receive information from roads under construction to avoid traffic buildup. C-V2X may also be used to prevent road accidents in two ways. First, the technology lets cars send traffic information to oncoming vehicles. Second, pedestrians can use C-V2X through their mobile phones to communicate their location to cars. To demonstrate how the technology works, manufacturers Audi, Ford, and Ducati each presented a vehicle equipped with C-V2X. The cars were then driven to a four-way intersection that did not have a traffic light. With C-V2X, the cars were able to successfully negotiate which vehicle should go first, thus avoiding a collision. The three huge vehicle manufacturers see the potential of this wireless communication technology. In fact, Audi, Ford, and Ducati vowed to work closer with Qualcomm Technologies to ensure C-V2X’s future commercial success. Ford’s executive director also appealed to other technology developers, car manufacturers, and governments to take part in equipping cars and roads with C-V2X. While the technology’s advantages are highlighted in the CES, some critics are quick to point out its flaws. For one, installing C-V2X on roads will be very costly, especially for poor cities. One critic also noted that it is wrong to require pedestrians to use the technology because it is the drivers’ responsibility to avoid accidents.