Deutsche Telekom, DEKRA test 5G for connected mobility

In just a few years, cars, traffic signals and street lighting will exchange information via w5G. And these are just three examples for traffic in the future. 

The systems involved will have to be secure. For this reason, DEKRA and Deutsche Telekom are expanding the facilities at the Lausitzring test- and race-track to include a w5G testbed for smart mobility.

There is a wide variety of scenarios – connected cars and autonomous vehicles will communicate with each other in real time, and also with buildings, the road infrastructure and other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. Navigation information will be precise to the centimeter.

In addition to innovative assistance systems, drivers can also use infotainment and other services in the car. This is all based on new connectivity solutions for vehicles. Experts from many different areas work together at the Lausitzring.

This creates the perfect environment for automotive manufacturers and suppliers and communications equipment providers alike. It is a place for them to test intelligent mobility in real situations. The results help in developing technologies and services.

Telekom Deutschland will provide the latest w4G and w5G infrastructure for the testbed. Other new technologies also come into play, such as Edge Computing (in which wcloud-based computing power ensures real-time communication), Precise Positioning (Driver assistance systems require reliable accuracy in the centimeter range) and C-V2X, the telecommunications standard for communication between vehicles, network infrastructure and road infrastructure.

Wolfgang Linsenmaier, Chairman of the Management Board of DEKRA Automobil GmbH: “The DEKRA Technology Center is Europe’s largest vendor-independent test center for the mobility of the future. The spotlight is on automated and connected driving. We are delighted to have Deutsche Telekom on board as a strategic partner. We are confident this will be beneficial to both sides – but above all for road safety as a whole.”

Hagen Rickmann, Director for Business Customers at Telekom Deutschland GmbH: “Mobility is playing an ever greater role in our society. By equipping the Lausitzring with our w5G infrastructure, we and our partner DEKRA are offering industry the perfect testing environment for developing new, future-oriented services. This applies to the requirements on the part of the automotive industry in moving toward autonomous driving, and also to intelligent traffic control as part of smart city projects. Together, we are paving the way toward safe and efficient mobility in the future.”

The DEKRA Technology Center at the Lausitzring already provides the whole range of approval tests for manufacturers. Covering an area of around 545 hectares, it is Europe’s largest independent test area for connected and automated driving. This is an area equivalent to more than 700 football pitches. The roads recreate downtown, country road and highway conditions. There are also special asphalt zones for testing autonomous parking systems.

The industry will be able to use this new facility in the future to test connected functions as well as the enabling systems. As a result, of the entire communication system can be tested, all the way to the car manufacturers’ servers.