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O2 launched its commercial 5G network in the UK last month and is now turning its attention to a connected vehicle testbed in the capital
UK mobile network operator, O2, has signed an agreement to help unlock the potential of driverless cars in London.
O2 will utilise 5G spectrum in the 3.4GHz band to power practical testing of driverless vehicles in a real-world environment.
According to research conducted by O2, a 5G road network could save the UK economy £880 million per year, in addition to reducing carbon emissions by as much as 370,000 metric tonnes per year.
“At O2 we’re determined to help businesses of all sizes access the potential of 5G mobile technology.
“We know that by powering the transport sector we can make a real difference to consumers by reducing traffic congestion, making journeys safer and faster.
“We’re excited to be working with the teams at the Smart Mobility Living Lab, who are driving forward our understanding how this next generation technology will fundamentally change the fabric of the cities in which we live and work as well as creating entirely new ways to travel,” said Brendan O’Reilly, O2’s chief technology officer.
O2 will conduct the tests in collaboration with Smart Mobility Living Lab, at test sites in Greenwich and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. The Lab draws on the expertise of TRL, DG Cities, Cisco and Loughborough University and is believed to be among the most advanced driverless testbed in the world.
“5G is a technology that supports a successful rollout of self-driving cars in the UK. Smart Mobility Living Lab (SMLL) research shows that over a third of industry leaders from the transport, technology and automotive industries think investment in strengthening the UK’s digital infrastructure is a key step for making self-driving cars commercially available in the UK. By working with industry leader O2, we are ensuring that SMLL is not just a real-world testing environment for self-driving cars today; we are future-proofing the testbed so that we can accelerate our customers’ research and development programmes,” said Paul Campion, CEO of TRL.
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