Consortium of Leading Automotive and Telecom Companies Host 3GPP Release 14 Cellular-V2X Technology Field Trial in Germany

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- At CES® 2017 today, AUDI AG (NASDAQ: AUDVF), Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), SWARCO Traffic Systems and the University of Kaiserslautern, announced the formation of Connected Vehicle to Everything of Tomorrow (ConVeX) – a consortium to carry out the first announced Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) trial based upon the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project's (3GPP) Release 14, which includes Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication. The trial efforts are expected to focus on Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) direct communication, as well as Vehicle-to-Network (V2N) wide area communications. ConVeX will be executed by a cross-industry consortium that brings diverse expertise to the trial. ConVeX will be co-funded by the participating organizations and the German Federal Ministry of Transportation and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) within the scope of the "Automated and Connected Driving on Digital Test Fields in Germany" funding guidelines.

The goal of the trial is to demonstrate the benefits of using a unified C-V2X connectivity platform, as defined by 3GPP Release 14, for the connected vehicle of tomorrow as well as to showcase C-V2X range, reliability and latency advantage for real-time V2X communications. Additionally, the trial aims to highlight new use cases that help support traffic flow optimization, improve safety and pave the path to automated driving. ConVeX plans to use the results of the trial to inform regulators, provide important inputs to ongoing global standardization work and shape a path for further development and future evolution of V2X cellular technology, which includes an evolutionary transition towards 5G New Radio (NR), the new global standard for 5G being defined in 3GPP.

During the trial, ConVeX expects to establish a field test environment and conduct field tests to determine compelling C-V2X benefits by utilizing V2V/V2I/V2P direct communications with 4G/5G LTE-based vehicle-to-network (V2N) technology, evaluating radio communications, performance and user experience under real traffic conditions while leveraging upper layer stacks developed by the automotive industry in ETSI-ITS. C-V2X Direct Communications operating on 5.9GHz ITS spectrum are then expected to be integrated into an Ericsson 5G test network covering highways, roads and cities in Germany.  

V2X technologies continue to play a key role in advancing the vision of autonomous vehicles. While advancements in Radar, Lidar, and camera systems bring automated driving a step closer to commercialization, these sensors are limited to line-of-sight (LOS) data collection. Sensor fusion with V2X is expected to complement those capabilities and provide 360 degree non-line-of-sight (NLOS) awareness, extending a vehicle's ability to see and hear further down the road, even at blind intersections or in bad weather conditions. Combined with high-precision Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), V2X technologies are expected to allow vehicles to share information with each other, as well as with infrastructure, and to pedestrian smartphones.

"Digitization will redefine the properties of the car. Connectivity and autonomous driving are two megatrends to shape tomorrow's vehicles, but this transformation will go further. Data, cloud technology and new business models will be the major drivers of innovation and create an ecosystem around our core product," said Alfons Pfaller, head of infotainment development, AUDI AG. "Therefore the key to success is cross-industry collaboration – and so we are very happy to work together in the ConVeX consortium on new solutions for our customers."

"Connected vehicles require global connectivity solutions with scalable, flexible, secure and future-proof solutions. With the announcement of ConVeX consortia to carry out a Cellular-V2X trial in Germany together with our partners, we are taking the next step in creating an ecosystem for connected vehicles," said Ulf Ewaldsson, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Ericsson. "Achieving the full potential of connected vehicles becomes easier for vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators who partner with Ericsson to enable value-added services while providing robust global vehicle connectivity."

"Qualcomm Technologies' focus remains on bringing the best technologies and products to commercialization, supported by a long-term roadmap, and in a manner that helps ensure mass adoption. We are committed to an automotive vision, which supports a continually safer and more automated driving experience, to which sensors including V2X are integral," said Nakul Duggal, vice president of product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "As automotive use cases further drive mission-critical requirements like ultra low-latency and high reliability, we are focusing our efforts on developing technology that supports the vision of increased automotive safety and automated driving."

"A connected and a cooperative infrastructure is a key element in SWARCO's smart mobility portfolio," says Michael Schuch, COO, SWARCO's ITS Division. "This is why we foster the cooperation with the automotive industry, telecommunication providers and infrastructure operators to ensure seamless and technically compatible V2X communication. With ConVeX, another key milestone is reached in allowing road infrastructure components and vehicles to speak the same language."

"Connected and collaborative mobility has an enormous potential to improve traffic efficiency, enhance traffic safety and to lower emissions," said Professor Schotten, head of the chair for Wireless Communications and Navigation at the University of Kaiserslautern. "ConVeX will be an important step towards realizing this vision and we are glad to be able to contribute to this process."

About Audi
The Audi Group, with its brands Audi, Ducati and Lamborghini, is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the premium segment. It is present in more than 100 markets worldwide and produces at 16 locations in twelve countries. 100‑percent subsidiaries of AUDI AG include Audi Sport GmbH (Neckarsulm), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. (Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy) and Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy).  In 2015, the Audi Group delivered to customers approximately 1.8 million automobiles of the Audi brand, 3,245 sports cars of the Lamborghini brand and about 54,800 motorcycles of the Ducati brand. In the 2015 financial year, AUDI AG achieved total revenue of €58.4 billion and an operating profit of €4.8 billion. At present, approximately 85,000 people work for the company all over the world, about 60,000 of them in Germany. Audi focuses on new products and sustainable technologies for the future of mobility. 

www.audi-mediacenter.com/en

About Ericsson
Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society – a world leader in communications technology and services. Our long-term relationships with every major telecom operator in the world allow people, business and society to fulfill their potential and create a more sustainable future.

Our services, software and infrastructure – especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud – are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.

With approximately 115,000 professionals and customers in 180 countries, we combine global scale with technology and services leadership. We support networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty percent of the world's mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. And our investments in research and development ensure that our solutions – and our customers – stay in front.

Founded in 1876, Ericsson has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Net sales in 2015 were SEK 246.9 billion (USD 29.4 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York.

www.ericsson.com, www.ericsson.com/news

About Qualcomm
Qualcomm's technologies powered the smartphone revolution and connected billions of people.  We pioneered 3G and 4G – and now, we are leading the way to 5G and a new era of intelligent, connected devices. Our products are revolutionizing industries including automotive, computing, IoT and healthcare, and are allowing millions of devices to connect with each other in ways never before imagined. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including our semiconductor business, QCT, and our mobile, automotive, computing, IoT and healthcare businesses.

To learn more, visit Qualcomm's website, blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

About SWARCO
SWARCO – the international traffic technology corporation of Austrian entrepreneur Manfred Swarovski – provides the complete range of products, systems, services and solutions for road safety and intelligent traffic management. Cooperative systems, V2I communication, electromobility, and integrated software solutions for the Smart City are latest, future-oriented fields in the group's portfolio. German SWARCO TRAFFIC SYSTEMS GmbH, the largest SWARCO company, is a system integrator for urban and interurban traffic control, parking, and detection equipment, with a wide range of services and extensive know-how in V2X communication.

www.swarco.com / www.swarco.com/sts

About the University of Kaiserslautern
The University of Kaiserslautern, located in the south-west of Germany, is one of the major German research universities renowned for its strengths in the sciences and engineering disciplines. The University of Kaiserslautern is the center of a major European IT and science hub with two Fraunhofer Institutes (IESE and ITWM), the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) working on advanced software systems for the connected society. Professor Schotten is the head of the chair for Wireless Communication and Navigation at the University of Kaiserslautern and scientific director at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI).

Qualcomm Contacts:
Pete Lancia, Corporate Communications
Phone:  1-858-845-5959
Email:  corpcomm@qualcomm.com

John Sinnott, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: ir@qualcomm.com

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SOURCE Qualcomm Incorporated