Applied Information, Inc. – a provider of intelligent transportation infrastructure solutions – is deploying and testing Cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) connected vehicle technology on public roads surrounding The Infrastructure Automotive Technology Laboratory (iATL) in the city of Alpharetta, GA just north of Atlanta.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an experimental license for infrastructure and mobile C-V2X deployments within a five-mile radius of the iATL. The experimental license “will allow testing of V2I applications for potential benefits, and systematic improvements of the technology.” The area covered by the license includes approximately 130 traffic signals and 11 school zones – all of which can provide safety messages to connected and autonomous vehicles through C-V2X. Additionally, the technology can be used to develop and test safety applications involving vulnerable road users, temporary work zones, school and transit bus stop safety, and proximity alerts to emergency vehicles on a call.
“The grant by the FCC enables, for the first time, automakers, technology companies and roadway operators to collaborate and to test a wide range of safety applications provided by C-V2X on public roads and in real traffic,” said Applied Information president, Bryan Mulligan. “With the opportunity to connect to well over 150 traffic control devices, this is a unique opportunity to make real improvements in safety and mobility on our streets and highways.”
The iATL aims to bring automakers, cellular network operators, traffic control device companies, and semiconductor manufacturers together in a single technology hub to create, develop, and test connected vehicle safety applications. Alpharetta is said to operate the first large-scale deployment of connected vehicle infrastructure technology using all forms of communications simultaneously – 4G LTE, Cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X), Dedicated Short Range Radio (DSRC) and 900 MHz radio.