Some OEMs won’t wait for a national infrastructure to be in place before they take the initiative in deploying dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), according to a new report from ABI Research.
Principal analyst David Alexander says early proponents of DSRC were bullish on the prospects for fee collection and vehicle identification, but those functions appear to have taken a back seat to safety and traffic information. “Improved traffic flow will also have the benefit of improving fuel consumption by reducing the amount of time drivers spend idling in traffic jams,” Alexander said.
The bandwidth and exclusivity of DSRC frequency bands will make it the preferred medium for safety applications such as intersection collision avoidance and advanced warning systems, according to the ABI report, “Dedicated Short-Range Communications.”
Real-time traffic information will provide automakers potential for enhancing the value of their built-in navigation systems. “Municipalities and other organizations responsible for traffic flow are keen to support the rollout to keep their own constituents happy,” Alexander said, adding “Wi-Fi and cellular-based services, as well as custom systems for emergency responders, will continue to grow in the automotive space, and the challenge for the future will be to integrate with DSRC to provide seamless service for road users.”