The automotive industry is witnessing exponential growth in self-driving technology, and 5G network connections will have a significant impact on its growth, making autonomous vehicles quicker, smarter, and safer. 

FERMONT, CA: Autonomous vehicles can already see and think for themselves. But a newer technology that will run on soon-to-launch 5G technology promises to give them more skills. Therefore, stakeholders expect 5G to have significant impacts on the development of self-driving cars. The extent to which 5G can support autonomous vehicles is yet to be seen. Still, the technology seems to have enormous potential for autonomous vehicles, given what the experts and auto manufacturers have said.

For secure operation, self-driving cars need to be aware of the environment. This ambient awareness comes about when cars are equipped with sensors technology capable of detecting physical features while on the lane. In addition to the physical attributes, cars must also be mindful of all other self-driving cars to ensure road safety. This can be accomplished by connecting all the self-driving cars while on the road. 5G can reach this networking. Robust 5G networks facilitate V2V connectivity. Besides, it is also possible to transfer information from sensors in real-time with 5G networks resulting in reduced latency.

Autonomous cars must respond spontaneously to road situations. Either driving or parking, it can be fatal to delay a fraction of a second. It is hard to ensure real-time controls with the current network infrastructure. The wider introduction of enhanced 5G networks would help protect vehicles from latency preventing accidents.

The fact that modern technologies rely on connectivity is making 5G an important element in the development of self-driving vehicles. As the penetration of 5G grows, automobile manufacturers will be increasingly compelled to arm autonomous vehicle models with the necessary connectivity.