As the EU continues its push for autonomous vehicle communication using Wi-Fi-based standards – despite objections from the telecoms sector and even some members of the bloc itself – many fear that the commercial introduction of a competing technology could cause a slower deployment of mainstream 5G across Europe.

Meeting challenges, achieving expectations
The promise of widespread next-generation network coverage, a very necessary CAV requirement, is often touted to the public. But while 5G is likely to become a significant player when it comes to handling both end-user and backhaul transmission of critical mapping and vehicle-to-vehicle data, it is important to remember that we will see a ‘mesh’ of both new and existing networks at first as 5G is gradually rolled out. Despite our own testing revealing at least 90% 4G coverage across all major British motorways, the fact remains that the level of coverage offered by existing network options will be largely unsuitable for fully autonomous vehicles in the future.

In addition to concerns about ubiquitous coverage, little has been made available regarding detailed plans for redundant backup network capabilities in case of an unexpected intermittent 5G signal. While existing networks will be unable to handle the full strain of autonomous vehicles connectivity, it may be important to rely on their capabilities to communicate a critical 5G network failure to passengers, for example, and alert them to the need for action. There are also the characteristics of the 5G spectrum itself to consider. The higher frequencies that are targeted for 5G don’t allow the signal to travel as far as those on a lower frequency, meaning that cells will require closer proximity to each other in comparison to current network configurations to ensure continuous coverage.

Driving the future of connected transport
As a result of the high connectivity demands of CAVs, it’s vital to ensure that reliable network foundations are in place sooner rather than later. Any government that is serious in its intentions for a swift, future-thinking deployment of mainstream 5G technology must first look to begin building next-generation network technologies into new urban and rural construction projects and other roadside furniture.

Additionally, both central and local authorities must look at reducing restrictive regulations on things like signal mast height and location, and also consider how to help make the widescale provisioning of small cells much cheaper and easier. Private companies also have a significant role to play when it comes to turbocharging investment in 5G, and this means not only building the business case for 5G but communicating it effectively too. 5G has the ability to step change wireless communications technology on a huge scale, and we need businesses to recognise this and help to fund the future if we are to realise the dream of autonomous vehicles with multi-gigabit connections travelling at high-speed on our roads.

The massive amount of CAV data that must be consistently transferred at high speed to allow fully autonomous driving also points to the critical need for network-wide testing that is both rigorous and routine. Just as stats about connection speeds are much less important to consumers than knowing they will be able to reliably connect to their network whenever they need it, achieving ‘superfast’ speeds under controlled conditions matters far less to the future of autonomous transport than ensuring reliability of data connectivity, communication and coverage across a live nationwide transport network. To be sure that any network is delivering on customer expectations (and meeting safety, traffic and other related CAV requirements), it’s crucial that plans are put in place for robust real-world testing so that stress points can be identified and fixed long before they have chance to cause disruption.

For 5G to deliver on its promise and pave the way for fully autonomous vehicles in the UK and beyond, we will need to see increased communication and cooperation between all interested parties. Regulators, service providers, tech firms and, of course, operators themselves must come up with solutions for a robust 5G infrastructure that meets everyone’s ambitions for more reliable high-speed coverage. It will take a large amount of effort and funding from all parties to fully realise the potential of 5G, but we only need to look at the benefits that next-generation network connectivity can bring to see why it’s important to do so.

The author is Paul Carter, CEO of GWS

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This year, the UK made an exciting step on its journey towards next-generation network coverage with the launch of the first 5G network testbed for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) at Millbrook. The site gives CAV developers access to a low latency, wide-area wireless infrastructure that works seamlessly across the entire Millbrook Proving Ground.

While prototype systems and technologies for CAVs are being developed quickly, the financial case and network standards needed for operators to build large scale 5G-based networks capable of supporting driverless travel on motorways are still some way off.

For a start, the EU is still pushing for self-driving cars to communicate using Wi-Fi-based systems, despite growing objections from the telecoms industry and some European governments including Finland and Spain. A move in favour of a Wi-Fi-based approach could potentially slow the deployment of mainstream 5G technology in Europe for the foreseeable future.

• AI, 5G and the race to completely autonomous vehicles
• The future of cybersecurity in a 5G-connected world
• 5G and a better-connected world

Managing expectations

In addition to the ongoing debate about the way forward at a parliamentary level, there are many other key building blocks that need to be in place before cars can seamlessly drive down the motorway sans human drivers – not least of which include insurance considerations, manufacturing and product development, wireless and public infrastructure development, and so on.

Whilst the Millbrook testing ground is a step in the right direction in terms of development, it’s certainly no silver bullet. While it’s not out of the question to imagine the autonomous cars of the future relying almost exclusively on the operation of the 5G network, comparatively little public discussion has been focused on what happens in the event of a network failure. How will network or technology redundancy be handled, for example, to ensure continuous availability of coverage in case of an intermittent 5G signal? And how will all of this be communicated to the passenger and will they be required to take some sort of action if there is a catastrophic failure?

5G will clearly be a key player when it comes to handling both end-user and backhaul transmission of critical mapping and vehicle-to-vehicle data. As plans for 5G become a reality, however, we will initially see a ‘mesh’ of both existing and next-generation networks in place to support the rollout.

Last year, we tested 4G network connectivity on major motorways, and whilst availability of 4G was good – at least 90% coverage across all motorways – it seems likely that the level of coverage offered here will be largely insufficient for fully autonomous vehicles, beyond things like software updates and vehicle-to-dealership communication. Similarly, the gaps that did remain were largely filled by the less capable 3G network, and clearly, the requirements of the cars of the future will have progressed far beyond the capabilities of 3G connectivity – even at in-car entertainment level.

Any lack of ubiquitous coverage – and lack of a firm plan for redundant backup network capabilities – would certainly be a concern moving forward. 5G generally uses a higher frequency than existing networks, however there are practical considerations here as higher frequencies don’t travel as far as lower frequency signals. Therefore, to enable fully autonomous driving, we will need greater flexibility on signal mast location and height. In particular, 5G cells will require closer proximity to each other in comparison to the way most networks are configured today to ensure continuous coverage.

It may even be seen as necessary to prioritise which activities require 5G and which don’t in the future, or even to establish dedicated network segmentation based on use case – though how this would work practically is currently unclear. What is clear is that getting all of the available networks to work together, without fail, to ensure that data is being shared on demand will require cooperation and communication between any number of operators, service providers, and tech firms. This is where the real challenge lies.

Prioritising reliability of coverage over ‘superfast’ speed

With such high levels of data throughput consistently required by the autonomous cars of the future, it’s vital that plans for rigorous network testing are also in place to ensure it is delivering on expectations. Network connectivity is not simply about achieving high speeds under testing conditions, but also about having reliable coverage with redundancy that won’t drop out at vital moments – an especially important factor when it comes to autonomous cars navigating British roads without driver assistance.

Governments that are serious about quick and future-thinking 5G deployment must start thinking about how new network technologies can be worked into new building developments and roadside furniture – as well as considering how they can reduce cumbersome regulations and make it cheaper, easier and faster for local authorities to deploy the quantity of small cells which will likely be required.

Businesses must also start looking seriously at boosting investment in 5G. Despite recent suggestions from analysts that businesses have yet to be given a full cost-benefit analysis for investing in 5G technology, it’s hard to argue against the notion that it has the ability to step change technology and the state of wireless communication from where it is today.

It’s clear that the route to ubiquitous 5G in the UK has the vested interest of many different parties and will need operators, regulators, local and central government departments, as well as technology innovators to come together to devise a solution that meets the ambitions of the industry for more reliable high-speed coverage. Although a robust infrastructure has yet to be put in place, the issue is likely to receive increasing attention in the coming year as network capabilities progress and innovations continue to be made.

Demand for 5G is certainly apparent, which in turn helps strengthen the financial case for investment – though whether we’ve reached the kind of critical mass of public opinion that will truly drive the future of connected and autonomous vehicles remains to be seen. It will take a large amount of investment from many to fully exploit 5G, but the gains of doing so are certainly something to be excited about.

Dr. Paul Carter, CEO of Global Wireless Solutions

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The post Businesses warned as London comes rock bottom for reliable mobile signal appeared first on GWS.

The availability of 4G mobile networks along the UK’s motorways has substantially improved in the past couple of years, according to statistics produced by mobile network benchmarking firm Global Wireless Solutions (GWS).

Even though it is highly dangerous, extremely stupid and illegal to use a mobile device in any way while at the wheel of a motor vehicle, mobile network availability along Britain’s motorways and major A-roads has become an important metric for mobile operators – at least in part because passengers, particularly children and teens, are increasingly streaming video content and gaming on long car journeys.

Travellers on the urban M60 motorway in Greater Manchester can now expect to be able to receive a 4G mobile signal 100% of the time. On the M1, M4 and M62, this fell to 98%, on the M11 97%, the M25 96%, the M2 and M6 94%, the M3 and M37 92%, and the M23 90%.

The data showed that in comparison to tests conducted two years ago in early 2017, 4G performance has improved across all tested locations. GWS noted that the worst performing motorway at present is the M23 between Hooley in Surrey and Crawley in Sussex, with 90% availability, whereas in early 2017 the best performing motorway was the M60 with only 82% availability.

The M6, running between the Midlands and the border between England and Scotland, showed the most improvement on test, with 4G availability doubling in over a year and a half.

“There’s no denying that 2018 has been a busy year for operators, and while everyone is getting geared up for 5G, it’s great to see the significant strides that have been made towards improving 4G coverage levels across the country’s motorways,” said GWS CEO Paul Carter.

“We’ve seen investments made across the networks with operators deploying advanced LTE [long-term evolution] features to help enhance connectivity, help manage network loading, and pave the way for 5G deployment in 2019.”

Roadside network availability is set to become even more important with the advent of 5G mobile networks – which are expected to begin to roll out later in 2019 in the UK – because 5G is expected to support the much-anticipated (and much-hyped) features of autonomous or self-driving vehicles, which will require constant connectivity in all situations in the interests of public safety.

Besides roadside network testing, GWS conducted testing on all four UK mobile networks across the entire country during the course of 2018 to build up a picture of the state of connectivity. It collected more than 2.6 million data points, as well as held a number of focus groups and conducted polling among consumers, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and enterprises.

Overall, it found O2 to be the UK’s most consistently reliable mobile network, followed by Three, with EE and Vodafone tied in third place. UK consumers are twice as likely to consider network reliability than browsing speeds, said GWS, based on YouGov polling.

On the business side, 76% of IT decision makers polled by Vanson Bourne said their businesses suffered with anything less than “excellent” mobile coverage. The ability to make voice calls is still considered the most important criteria for businesses when selecting a mobile operator, and while this shows little sign of changing, 64% of businesses now report using mobile devices as Wi-Fi hotspots to support remote workers, suggesting priorities are changing.

GWS’s business survey revealed a notable north-south divide in mobile coverage for businesses, with the best regions for mobile business connectivity being the North East and North West of England, the East Midlands and Scotland. The three worst regions were Greater London, and South East and South West England.

“In unstable economic times, it’s also important to look at the difference between business and consumer requirements from their networks – while a dropped call for a consumer is an annoyance, it can have damaging ‘bottom line’ consequences for a business,” said Carter.

“The government has committed to driving forward technology for businesses across the nation, not just the South East, and our regional Business OneScore results indicate that the network investments operators are making in the north of the country are beginning to pay dividends in helping to bridge the economic north-south divide.

“However, the fact that London comes last should alert to challenges ahead in serving the UK’s biggest working population, and this is something that must be addressed in 2019 and beyond,” he added.

The post Roadside 4G mobile signal availability improves across UK appeared first on GWS.

GWS conducted a series of tests to evaluate mobile network performance. Just over 2.6 million data and voice task tests were conducted to evaluate the primary operators in 38 major cities and towns during 2018. The tests were run using the GWS OneMeasure App running on iPhone devices, Rohde & Schwarz’s Freerider using Samsung Galaxy devices, and the GWS Mobistat data evaluation and reporting platform.

The post GWS Find Improving 4G Mobile Network Signals on UK Motorways appeared first on GWS.

O2 has retained its position as the most reliable network operator across most locations in the UK despite a high-profile outage this month that saw data services knocked offline for nearly 24 hours.

Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) measured the reliability of four network operators including O2, Three, EE and Vodafone and found that O2 was deemed the most reliable in 17 of 28 UK towns and cities across the UK.

GWS Reliability OneScore Winners by Market

Telecoms rival Three ranked second, with respondents suggesting it was the most reliable in nine towns and cities including London, while Vodafone and EE were considered the most reliable in just one city apiece; Birmingham and Hull respectively.

“While a lot of focus is being placed on 5G, 2018 was the year when consumers voiced their ongoing concerns about the importance of network reliability,” said GWS’ CEO Dr Paul Carter.

“In unstable economic times, it’s also important to look at the difference between business and consumer requirements from their networks – while a dropped call for a consumer is an annoyance, it can have damaging “bottom line” consequences for a business.”

Businesses in the North of England meanwhile, according to the research, generally experienced a better quality of connectivity and network reliability in 2018 than firms based in the South.

This comes in light of a previous GWS poll found that 76% of IT business decision makers said their business ‘suffers’ when they receive anything less than excellent mobile coverage.

The North East and North West topped the table for business mobile network connectivity, of 12 regions across the UK assessed, while Greater London came bottom, beaten by the South East in 11th and the South West in 10th.

GWS Business OneScore Rankings

“The government has committed to driving forward technology for businesses across the nation, not just the South East,” Dr Carter continued.

“And our regional Business OneScore results indicate that the network investments operators are making in the North of the country are beginning to pay dividends in helping to bridge the economic North/South divide.

“However, the fact that London comes last should alert to challenges ahead in serving the UK’s biggest working population and this is something that must be addressed in 2019 and beyond.”

Voice calling was the most important criteria for businesses when selecting a mobile operator this year, according to the research, with phones also being used as by 64% of firms surveyed as mobile hotspots to support network access.

For 60% of businesses, moreover, a key priority over the next decade is to better support employees occasionally working from home.

The quality of 4G signal across UK motorways was also found to have dramatically improved in the last 12 months, with data showing improvements on all motorways tested against the previous year. In fact, the best motorway in early 2017 was the M60 with 82% 4G availability, while the worst motorway in the latest findings is the M23 with 90% availability.

Availability on the M6 doubled to 94% over the last year and a half, the biggest improvement recorded, while the M60 boasted 100% 4G connectivity when measured.

The post O2 declared ‘most reliable operator’ across UK despite recent network outage appeared first on GWS.

London, 20^th December 2018
Leading mobile network benchmarking firm Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) has today released the results from its year-long study into mobile connectivity in the UK across the country’s major cities, towns and highways. Throughout 2018 it has collected over 2.6 million data points in scientifically controlled, real-world testing, as well as extensive focus groups and polling of consumers, SMEs and enterprises – because businesses and consumers demand different things from their mobile networks.  GWS’ OneScore rankings then highlight how networks are performing weighted against what truly matters most to consumers and businesses using those networks. Key findings from 2018 test results include:

•  Reliability OneScore for Consumers – Rankings: O2 retains top spot, followed by Three (Fig.1)
  Over the year, GWS has found that its Reliability OneScore ranking of operators (based on voice coverage, voice retainability and data success rates) has changed in some cities and towns. O2 has retained the top spot and is still ranked the most reliable network in the highest number of locations, followed by Three in second place.  However, Vodafone has now moved up to third place (tied with EE) with a win in Birmingham; EE, on the other hand, did have one win in Hull but also lost top spots in Manchester and Leicester to O2, and Leeds to Three. Looking at reliability scoring metrics is important because, when asked to consider the five most important criteria in selecting an operator, GWS found that UK consumers are twice as likely to choose reliability instead of network speed.
• Businesses OneScore – Rankings: All things point North for the best mobile network for businesses (Fig.2)
  GWS’ poll of IT business decision makers reveals that 76% of UK companies report that their business ‘suffers’ when they receive anything less than ‘excellent’ mobile coverage. None of the top scoring regions for mobile business connectivity (Business OneScore) are located in the South of the country, with the best regions being the North East, the North West, East Midlands and Scotland. Businesses located in these regions are likely to have the fewest issues making mobile calls and the best online experience for completing business related activities. In contrast to this, the three worst regions on test for mobile business activities were Greater London, the South East and the South West.The research results show that voice calling was the most important criteria for businesses in 2018 when selecting a mobile operator. While having a mobile phone to make calls will most likely remain an essential business function in 2019 and beyond, mobile phones are also used by 64% of businesses as mobile hotspots to fully support employees who are working where ever they are. It is therefore no surprise that for 60% of businesses, a top telecoms priority over the next decade is to better support employees working from home. 
• Motorways: 4G signal has drastically improved on all motorways across the country [Fig.3]Compared to tests that GWS completed in early 2017, the data shows that 4G performance has improved across all motorways tested. This is particularly impressive when you consider that the worst motorway in 2018 was the M23 with 90% 4G signal availability, whereas in early 2017 the best motorway on test was the M60 which only had 82% 4G availability.The M6 showed the most improvement on test, with 4G availability doubling in over a year and a half. Even during the 2018 testing period all motorways showed progressive improvements in 4G availability from the beginning of the year to the end. The best motorway on test in 2018 was the M60 with 100% 4G availability nearly the entire year.

Dr Paul Carter, CEO of Global Wireless Solutions commented: “There’s no denying that 2018 has been a busy year for operators, and while everyone is getting geared up for 5G, it’s great to see the significant strides that have been made towards improving 4G coverage levels across the country’s motorways.  We’ve seen investments made across the networks with operators deploying advanced LTE features to help enhance connectivity, help manage network loading, and pave the way for 5G deployment in 2019. For example, we’ve seen O2 and EE deploy EVS wideband codec to improve voice quality; and we’ve also seen three of the four operators (EE, O2, and Vodafone) reach nearly 100% 4G calling (VoLTE) in the cities we tested. On the data side, we saw average throughputs relatively unchanged during 2018 but operators did add more bandwidth that most likely eased network loading.  In addition, all operators with the exception of Three deployed 256QAM and three-channel carrier aggregation during the year.”

“While a lot of focus is being placed on 5G, 2018 was the year when consumers voiced their ongoing concerns about the importance of network reliability. In unstable economic times, it’s also important to look at the difference between business and consumer requirements from their networks – while a dropped call for a consumer is an annoyance, it can have damaging “bottom line” consequences for a business. The government has committed to driving forward technology for businesses across the nation, not just the South East, and our regional Business OneScore results indicate that the network investments operators are making in the North of the country are beginning to pay dividends in helping to bridge the economic North/South divide. However, the fact that London comes last should alert to challenges ahead in serving the UK’s biggest working population and this is something that must be addressed in 2019 and beyond.”

Figure 1: GWS Reliability OneScore Winners by Market 

Figure 2: GWS Business OneScore Rankings

Figure 3: 4G coverage on major motorways 

Methodology
GWS conducted this series of tests to evaluate mobile network performance across the United Kingdom. Just over 2.6 million data and voice task tests were conducted to evaluate the major network performances (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone) in 38 major cities and towns, in 2018. The tests were conducted using the GWS OneMeasure App running on iPhone devices, Rohde & Schwarz’s Freerider using Samsung Galaxy devices, and the GWS Mobistat data evaluation and reporting platform.

Where the consumer survey is mentioned, this is in relation to work that GWS conducted with YouGov polling over 2000 UK adults in February 2018. All survey figures, aside from the business test results, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,727 adults. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

GWS also worked with YouGov to conduct SME and consumer focus group sessions between November 2017 and February 2018.

GWS worked with Vanson Bourne to poll businesses on their attitudes towards mobile network connectivity. Total sample size was 200 UK business IT decision makers working in businesses with more than 250 employees. Fieldwork was undertaken between January and February 2018.  The survey was carried out online.

About Global Wireless Solutions, Inc.
Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. defines the industry standard for network benchmarking, analysis and testing. Its proprietary OneScore network ranking combines in-depth network testing data with real-world network usage scenarios to make the results of testing relatable and easy to understand. Working with some of the world’s largest wireless network providers, GWS offers standardised, high-quality network data and engineering analysis through a suite of benchmarking products, services, and OneMeasure diagnostic apps that includes drive, venue, and in-building testing.

Firmly rooted in a deep understanding of network engineering, GWS provides best-in-class, turnkey solutions to help customers better understand overall network performance as today’s wireless networks grow and evolve. Founded in 1996, GWS is headquartered in Dulles, VA. At last count, GWS has driven 12 million data collection miles for its customers. For more information, visit www.gwsolutions.com and follow us on Twitter at @gwsolutionsinc.

Media Contact:

Megan Hughes-Evans/Edward Butterfield
Diffusion PR
+44 (0)207 291 0238
[email protected]

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To remain competitive in this developing marketplace and meet consumer expectations for connectivity everywhere, seamless interaction between the connected cars and all other IoT devices will become an industry standard. Greater consumer demand for connected safety and entertainment solutions will of course drive further innovation from OEMs and third-party suppliers (including new types of applications for navigation, transportation, news and social media, amongst others). Here are the most exciting among them:

In-charge content updates for electric vehicles – Available soon for production EVs, users will be able to download content updates at electric charge points, via the charging cable that can simultaneously act as an ultrafast data transfer line. This will mean driving away from the station with new music and news feeds, without having to wait to download the latest content.

Automated fuel payment – No longer will drivers have to queue at the petrol station to pay for fuel when in a rush. Jaguar and Shell have joined forces to offer a ”cashless payment app”  on a selection of the premium marque’s new models, which allows the user to make a quick and easy transaction via the connected in-car touchscreen.

Wearable connected devices – To fully capitalise on many connected solutions on the market today, the user must play their part in interacting with the technology. This is no different for in-vehicle connectivity, and by using a smartwatch, like the Apple Watch with BMW i Remote connectivity, users can benefit from vehicle lock/unlock, start-up and automatic personalisation features, upon proximity to the vehicle.

In-car IoT assistants – Virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa are already offered in some new production vehicles. These systems allow the driver to use voice commands to interact with their car’s infotainment features as well as with smart home solutions such as in-house heating and smart lightbulbs. Not only do these features enhance the leisure experience of driving, they also improve user safety as eyes are kept on the road while altering user settings.

V2X communication – Underpinning the future delivery of semi- and fully-autonomous driving assistance systems is vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. While self-driving cars may be a ways off from prowling city streets en masse, similar applications of the tech are available in a handful of production vehicles. Tesla’s Model S, for example, can diagnose itself if mechanical issues occur, and automatically receive OTA updates to remedy certain problems. Tesla’s greatest demonstration of its remote updating abilities has been its software upgrades to empower its fleet with Autopilot, allowing users to take their hands off the wheel and watch the car steer itself.

While these connected car features are very impressive and suggest an almost unrecognisable driving experience 20 years from now, they all demand a significantly higher network bandwidth than what is currently available on UK roadways. A recent study conducted by us found that time spent on 4G over LTE networks on UK motorways ranged from 30 per cent to 84 per cent. If, by 2020, the majority of vehicles are expected to utilise these connected services and many more like them, there is no doubt that networks will have to evolve drastically and quickly to be able to support critical systems.

Ultimately, the rapid growth of the connected car and IoT market is far outpacing network providers’ abilities to offer comprehensive Internet coverage, and this must change sooner rather than later. In-car entertainment is important for OEMs and consumers alike, but when on-the-road safety is at stake, robust standardisation and benchmarking for widespread 4G coverage is paramount. GWS offers rigorous testing for global networking standards, and will continue to support network providers in upping their game, to ensure safety and entertainment is never compromised.

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Driverless car tests will begin on the UK’s motorways as soon as 2019. From there the automotive and tech industries have plans to make things move quickly. By 2021, Auto Express predicts that automated driving will be available on pre-defined sections of UK motorways, where cars will be able to take complete control, allowing drivers to focus on other activities instead. And that’s not all, as fully automated driving everywhere is expected to hit the streets only four years later, in 2025.

Of course, all of this depends on robust wireless connectivity, which will enable vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications. As our recent network benchmarking test of the UK’s motorways found, we still have a way to go until that level of connectivity is available.

While mobile networks in the UK have greatly improved when it comes to nationwide 4G availability, LTE coverage is variable across networks and not yet ubiquitous on UK motorways. This is especially disappointing for British consumers, as we recently found that drivers see the future of in-car connectivity to be built around their smartphones.

Even before driverless vehicles hit the roads, consumers want more in-car connectivity. For example, in our recent UK nationwide survey 41% of the consumers want in-car WiFi to connect tablets, phones and other smart devices. This is not all, as British consumers expect connected cars to improve road safety and convenience by communicating critical information over mobile networks with other cars (31%), roadside infrastructure (28%) and dealerships (27%).

Industry analyst firm Gartner predicts that connected car production is increasing with force, with the production of new vehicles with data connectivity either through a built-in communications module or by a tether to a mobile device forecast to reach 61 million worldwide in 2020 (an increase of 40 million from 2017). As the average age of a car on UK roads is 7.7 years old come 2025 the average British driver will most likely own a car with an internet connection.

Current wireless technology is already supporting connected vehicles. In particular, today’s 4G networks are serving as a conduit to enable various features associated with connected vehicles. However, much more needs to be done to power fully autonomous vehicles.

Mobile operators are key to unlocking connected and autonomous vehicles and all they have to offer. By provisioning networks with the promised levels of low latency and gigabit throughputs that 5G networks should offer, they will be able to fuel the connectivity needs for the vehicles of the future.

The post Robot You Can Drive My Car appeared first on GWS.

30 March 2017, London, UK – Today, leading independent network benchmarking firm Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) has revealed the results of its in-car connectivity test and survey, providing an in-depth look at how consumers can use their mobile devices in their cars today, as well as their expectations for the increasingly connected, autonomous future of driving.

The mobile network test of the country’s motorways found that the average time spent on 4G LTE networks is still inconsistent, ranging from between 30% and 84%, depending on the road and the operator.

GWS’ survey found that connectivity is now key to consumers. Over 3 in 5 respondents that use a smartphone while in a car, are accessing internet services at least one day per week. However, in-car mobile experiences seem to be inconsistent, as 68% reported they could not always access their preferred services. Based on GWS’ performance testing on 10 major UK motorways, the mobile network benchmarking company found that:

• The M6, which runs North through Birmingham, has the poorest LTE coverage of the major motorways tested throughout the UK on iOS and Android devices. 4G coverage ranged from 19% to 75% depending on the operator
• Overall, the best network for highway connectivity over LTE is EE, with O2 and Vodafone in the middle and Three bringing up the rear

Where we are going, we won’t be driving

Drivers see the future of in-car connectivity to be built around their smartphones. The most desired feature consumers want to see in their car in 10 years’ time is in-car WiFi (41%) to connect tablets, phones and other smart devices. This is no doubt driven by the younger generation of motorists, the survey also found that 18-24 year olds are almost as likely to stream video (44%) as they are to use a navigation app (48%) on a long-distance car journey.

In addition, Brits expect the cars of the future to improve road safety and convenience by communicating critical information over mobile networks with other cars (31%), roadside infrastructure (28%) and the dealership (27%). Well over half (61%) of the people who want to own an autonomous car expect to have it within the next ten years.

Paul Carter, CEO at GWS commented; “Mobile networks in the UK have made great strides when it comes to nationwide 4G deployment. However, LTE coverage is variable across networks and is not yet ubiquitous on UK motorways.

“4G networks will serve as the conduit for those wireless technologies that will support the future of connected vehicles. Our survey shows that consumers still see the smartphone providing the hub for entertainment content while on the move. In terms of critical communication and autonomous driving, they anticipate that their cars will have these capabilities within a decade.

“Major automotive players are focused heavily on how universal 5G networks will support true autonomous driving. However, even after 5 years of 4G roll-out, the UK’s motorways still offer an average best of 74 – 84% coverage. To ensure 5G networks can be rolled-out more swiftly and efficiently, action must be taken by the government and local authorities now to empower network operators to build the next generation of networks cost-effectively and with minimal red-tape.”

Methodology

GWS conducted this series of tests to evaluate mobile network performance across the United Kingdom. 987,000 data and voice task tests were conducted to evaluate the network performance of O2, EE, Three and Vodafone on 10 major UK motorways (M1, M3, M4, M6, M23, M25, M27, M42, M60, M62). Tests were conducted using the GWS diagnostic App running on iPhone 6s devices, and the Rohde & Schwarz SwissQual QualiPoc Freerider running on Samsung S6 devices.

About Global Wireless Solutions, Inc.

Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. defines the industry standard for network benchmarking, analysis and testing. Its proprietary OneScore network ranking combines high-level network testing data with real world network usage scenarios to make the results of testing relatable and easy to understand. Working with some of the world’s largest wireless network providers, GWS offers standardised, high-quality network data and engineering analysis through a suite of benchmarking products, services, and diagnostic apps that includes drive, venue, and in-building testing.

Firmly rooted in a deep understanding of network engineering, GWS provides best-in-class, turnkey solutions to help customers better understand overall network performance as today’s wireless networks grow and evolve. Founded in 1996, GWS is headquartered in Dulles, VA. At last count, GWS has driven 10.5 million data collection miles for its customers. For more information, visit www.gwsolutions.com and follow us on Twitter at @gwsolutionsinc.

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