Qualcomm and LG Set Out to Bring 5G and V2X Into Vehicles

In a recent announcement, Qualcomm and LG Electronics have said they are coordinating efforts to facilitate testing and adoption of 5G and Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) communications into vehicles. Qualcomm Technologies and LG said they expect to showcase the wireless technologies through trials during the first half of 2018.

LG is developing advanced automotive connectivity solutions based on Qualcomm Technologies’ connected car platform, which has support for Gigabit LTE speeds using the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, and QCA65x4 Wi-Fi 802.11ac solution.

“The advanced wireless capabilities of 5G and C-V2X will usher in new use cases necessary to fulfill our vision for increasingly connected and autonomous vehicles,” said Kim Jin-yong, EVP, VC Smart Business Unit, LG Electronics. “As a leading inventor of 5G technologies and our key modem provider for telematics, Qualcomm Technologies is the company of choice for bringing the next-generation wireless solutions that leading automakers need and expect.”

C-V2X complements other Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensors, such as cameras, radar and LIDAR, to provide information about the vehicle's surroundings, even in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios. In addition to allowing for 360 degree NLOS, C-V2X is also designed to allow for enhanced situational awareness by detecting and exchanging information using direct communications in the 5.9GHz ITS band with other vehicles, infrastructure and pedestrians' devices, as well as network-based communications to cloud services using commercial cellular bands.

“Wireless communications provide the vehicle with data that truly complements what other sensors deliver. For instance, C-V2X and its evolution to 5G can help the car discover what is around corners, detecting a pedestrian's smartphone or a car approaching an intersection even when the object is obstructed by buildings or other large vehicles,” said Patrick Little, SVP and GM, automotive, Qualcomm Technologies. “Building on our successful collaboration on telematics and infotainment systems, which have resulted in more than 25 million cumulative units shipped to date for carmakers throughout all key automotive regions, we are pleased to expand our relationship with LG in ushering in both C-V2X and 5G technologies in future vehicles.”