Connected-car Technology Favors Cellular Communication Over DSRC

By CIOReview | Thursday, May 9, 2019

The world is preparing to integrate connected vehicle service with the transportation industry, not only to thwart accidents but also to facilitate ease of communication between the vehicles. Even so, many organizations and departments are wary of investing millions of dollars on integrating connected-vehicle technology.

Toyota, a leading advocate of dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), postponed its plans of equipping new vehicles with connected-vehicle technology, leaving organizations and agencies to wonder about the future of transportation. Currently, roadside units are being utilized to transmit DSRC messages.

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DSRC has faced several problems over the years. The federal mandate relating to the DSRC failed to pass, as a result of which, many automotive manufacturers and organizations, including the Federal Communications Commission, are finding it challenging to adopt the technology.

Toyota’s decision has cast a tall shadow over the future of DSRC. Despite the announcement, Toyota remains a strong proponent of DSRC over the long term. DSRC is the only communication technology that has undergone extensive vetting over the years and stands ready for deployment. It not only allows the host vehicle to connect with other cars, but also with other devices, and even pedestrians.

Also, a study found that almost 8 million crashes and 44,000 deaths could be averted if V2X technology was deployed immediately instead of waiting for the development of technologies. Despite the setback, many proponents of the technology still believe in its potential to reduce vehicle-related accidents.

Despite this, automotive manufacturers are not ready to invest in the necessary equipment needed to deploy the DSRC-based V2X technology. Especially with the current options for cellular connectivity such as Bluetooth, LTE, and even SiriusXM, they are not too eager to pay for DSRC. Integrating the connected vehicles with dual-mode equipment will enable them to decipher messages sent through DSRC and cellular approaches. It would allow automakers to deploy V2X systems instead of waiting another few years.