How Ericsson, Telekom, BMW are driving future of ADAS

Ericsson, Deutsche Telekom, BMW, Valeo and Qualcomm are accelerating the future of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The collaboration has enabled a breakthrough proof of concept – the world’s first 5G Standalone (SA) network slicing with controlled network features for Quality of Service (QoS).

With the ADAS era being a question of ‘when’ and not ‘if’, this solution will have a major impact on the automotive and transportation industries.

Securing reliable, low-latency data performance is key to the future growth of automated driving applications, securing peak performance of the technologies required to deliver attractive uses for both industry and consumers.

New mobility options, such as enhanced safety features, for consumers is one of the solution's most exciting outcomes, paving the way for safer roads for everyone.

The trial successfully used Ericsson's User Equipment Route Selection Policy (URSP) network slicing feature, which dynamically selects and connects to multiple slices simultaneously, together with a Quality of Demand (QoD) Network API. The QoD was used to request a defined QoS level from the network. When combined, these features meet the demands of mission-critical applications under various load conditions.

As ADAS systems evolve low latency, high throughput, and secure connectivity will become indispensable. For many emerging automotive use cases such as automated driving, reliable network connectivity is crucial. The trial showed that even in congested conditions, where many users are sharing the limited resources of the mobile network, the automated driving function was consistently served with the necessary bandwidth resources.

The solution also opens the door for many other uses applying safety-related features, remote control functions, such as remote door opening/closing, and assisted and automated driving features.

Nicolai Martin, SVP BMW Group Driving Experience says: “The BMW Group sees the activities in the telecommunications industry with 5G as a central enabler for many innovative automotive features and also for Automated Valet Parking. It is crucial for such a new solution that several industries work closely together to offer the customer a valuable benefit. The aim is to build a standardized and interoperable AVP ecosystem. The BMW Group welcomes activities in the telecommunications industry especially the CAMARA project. This is an important enabler for future services.”

Claudia Nemat, Board member Technology and Innovation, Deutsche Telekom says: “Deutsche Telekom is excited to be part of this activity to demonstrate the capabilities of advanced network features like 5G network slicing with integrated APIs to meet the Quality of Service demands of automotive use cases. The close cross industry collaboration is essential to co-innovate and develop new solutions that bring customer benefits. This is an enabler for future services.”

Eric Ekudden, Group CTO, Senior Vice President and Head of Technology & Strategy Ericsson, says: “Ericsson has provided the End-to-End Network for a successful Proof of Concept. We continue to support realization of Use Cases using network slicing and exposure capability to monetize 5G network investment for Communication Service Provider (CSP).”

Enrico Salvatori, SVP & President Qualcomm Europe/MEA, Qualcomm Europe, Inc., says: “We are proud to be part of this project, utilizing Qualcomm Technologies’ long-established expertise in 5G and wireless innovation to help enable advanced features like 5G network slicing for reliable interoperability and improved quality-of-service. We look forward to continue collaborating with partners across the automotive ecosystem to usher in the next generation of autonomous driving applications.”

Marc Vrecko, Business Group President, Valeo Comfort & Driving Assistance Systems, says: "Communication between infrastructure and vehicles is a safety-critical element. Automated Valet Parking, developed in cooperation with BMW Group and tested with Deutsche Telekom, relies in part on Valeo software and systems both embedded in the car and installed in the parking infrastructure itself. Testing 5G interfaces jointly with Deutsche Telekom convinced us of the performance of cellular networks. To make mobility safer and smarter, Valeo has integrated advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) into one of the main focuses of its innovations."