E-mobility Technology Winter 2020

CONNECTIVITY
Unlocking
Next-Generation Vehicle
Technology with 5G
Peter Stoker, Chief Engineer – Connected and Autonomous
Vehicle at Millbrook, lifts the lid on the 5G testbed for
transport at Millbrook and the ground-breaking work
enabled by the AutoAir project.
The 5G testbed for transport at Millbrook Proving
Ground, launched last year as the AutoAir project, is
a private, fully operational high-speed mobile data
network. It was installed to support the development,
testing and validation of connected and self-driving
vehicles.
As the first network of its kind in the UK, AutoAir really
is leading the charge when it comes to innovation.
Not only is it supporting developers of connected
and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) and associated
technologies, it is also helping to position the UK
automotive industry as a leader in global CAV and
driverless vehicle technology development.
Before we dive too far into the use cases being
explored and the impact that AutoAir is already
having on future technology and transport
infrastructure, it is important to first understand the
origins of the testbed.
In 2017, the UK government Department of Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport called for the establishment
of 5G vertical sector testbeds and trials. The AutoAir
consortium, led by Airspan, which brings together
leading lights from the mobile communications and
transport sectors, was formed in response to call to
action.
The testbed is the only accelerated development
programme for 5G technology based on small cells
that operate on a neutral host. This makes it a truly
unique set up. It allows multiple public and private
mobile network operators (MNOs) to simultaneously
use the same infrastructure using network slicing,
which can radically improve the economics for 5G
networks.
As part of the project, the consortium set up 60GHz
mmWave mesh radio between small cell sites to
connect them to the core network (“backhaul”). This
82 e-mobility Technology International | www.e-motec.net