Brave New World: What Happens When We Get To 5G?

We are just beginning to see the possibilities of connected vehicles.  The first connected vehicles had 3G connections that would update navigation system and send real world data on changing conditions.

The faster 4G connections of today allow streaming video, and remote diagnostics.

Within the next five years, 5G connections will change the world.

"If you envision the same level of step performance that you had from 3G to 4G and multiply it by ten, that will be your 5G performance," said Upton Bowden, advanced technology portfolio planning manager at supplier Visteon.

In addition to speed, 5G connectivity will allow far more devices to access mobile networks, allow for much larger downloads of information, and will penetrate buildings much better, down to the deepest parking garages.

All of that will be needed, as cars become more connected.  Bowden says vehicles are sending relatively small amounts of information today

"When we get to the cars in five years from now, with all the connectivity, we could be in excess of a gigabit of data, per vehicle, per day.  That's a lot of data."

Most of that data will be streamed in the background, sending information on your vehicles performance, and downloading information about road and weather conditions.  But, the high speed connections will make back seat video streaming less expensive, and more practical.

Major carriers are beginning tests of 5G systems today, with some limited deployment coming in the next few years.   The auto industry is expecting 5G to become the norm early next decade.

This is somewhat different than the Vehicle to Vehicle and Vehicle to infrastructure technology that will debut later this year.  That technology uses different frequencies to connect cars to each other, and to the infrastructure.

The first cars with that type of connectivity will be commercially available later this year.  But, they probably won't be out in large numbers for several more years.  Connectivity experiments are being done in both Ann Arbor, and along some Detroit area Freeways.

"We don't know what the possibility is yet," said Kristin Taybar, vice president of Toyota's Technical Strategy and Planning office.  "It's kind of endless."

Toyota's employees near Ann Arbor will join in the connectivity experiment in that area.

Long term, Michigan Congresswoman Candice Miller says vehicle to vehicle connectivity is a potential life saver.

"The road is telling the car--for instance- if there's a traffic accident ahead, if there's a traffic signal is out, or some sort of challenge the driver might face," she said.  "The potential to save lives, to reduce traffic accidents, for traffic safety is enormous."