European Groups Partner on Next-Gen Communication Systems

Munich-based 5G Automotive Association e.V. (5GAA) and the European Automotive Telecom Alliance (EATA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate and develop standards related to connected and autonomous vehicle communication systems in Europe.

Both groups were formed last autumn. They say increased cooperation is needed between companies and across industries to successfully develop and implement vehicle-to-vehicle/infrastructure communications, self-driving cars and integrated smart cities.

5GAA has 33 members, including its eight founders: Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, Nokia and Qualcomm. They were joined later by Continental, Denso, FEV, Ford, LG, SAIC, Samsung, Valeo and Verizon.

EATA is comprised of six associations—among them the European Automobile Manufacturers' Assn., European Assn. of Automotive Suppliers and European Competitive Telecommunications Assn.—and 38 individual companies. The group’s first “pre-deployment” project will test autonomous vehicle communication systems under real-world conditions.