DSRC vs C-V2X: Which C-ITS technology for Australia?
As strongly evidenced by the findings in our Ipswich Connected Vehicle Pilot project, the various technologies used in Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) hold significant promise to enhance road safety, sustainability, and productivity.
Our recently completed project What C-ITS technologies for national deployment in Australia? closely investigated two competing technologies, DSRC and C-V2X, with the aim of providing the Australian Government with guidance for the consistent, nationwide deployment of C-ITS. The final report for the project is available as a download from this page.
The project was initiated by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, with research provided by La Trobe University.
C-ITS technology
C-ITS technologies are expected to enable far greater coordination between road users and allows for the creation of safer and more efficient traffic flows, and reduction in the impact of vehicles on the environment.
C-ITS uses wireless technology to enable real-time vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. The use and interplay of vehicle On-Board Units (OBUs), Roadside Units (RSUs), traffic control systems, data platforms, and a credential security management system enable communication with all manner of vehicles and road users, including cars, trucks, buses, emergency vehicles and specialised vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.
The Principles for a National Approach to C-ITS in Australia advocate a nationally consistent approach and were endorsed by Infrastructure and Transport Ministers in December 2023.
DSRC and C-V2X
The two competing C-ITS technologies are Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) and Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X).
The big mark of difference between the two is that DSRC is wi-fi based and is used in shorter communication distances (usually 100-400 metres), while C-V2X uses cellular technology, is suitable for longer communication distances, and, additionally, has both direct communication and non-direct communication modes.
There is no agreed global approach to implementing C-ITS:
DSRC and C-V2X technologies have predominantly been trialled by leading countries, including Europe, the USA, Japan, and China. Since the turn of the millennium, Europe and Japan have been primary adopters of DSRC technology. In contrast, over the past five years, C-V2X technology has seen significant growth, particularly in the USA and China.
An Australian approach
The task of this research was primarily to review the standards suites of the two competing short-range communication technologies, DSRC and C-V2X. It also provides an overview of the considerations that the Government should take into account with regard to a consistent nationwide approach to C-ITS short-range communications. The questions considered by the research were:
- Which technology provides the preferable technical performance, and more suitable deployment practices?
- Which technology provides the most support, has had the most use cases, the most field tests, and shows a promising future development?
- Which other factors, not necessarily intrinsic to the technology, should the government take into account?
Key recommendations
The report outlines six key recommendations in its executive summary:
- Defer a conclusive decision on the preferred short-range C-ITS technology until Europe and the USA finalise their respective decisions, which is anticipated to occur in the next 1 to 2 years.
- Closely monitor the progress of the next generation of C-V2X short-range communication technology, expected to reach maturity by 2029, to assess if the backward compatibility issue becomes redundant or is solved.
- Adopt a technology-neutral stance in the meantime, in line with the 2020 European Union ITS spectrum plan.
- Determine an optimal operating framework, followed by the resulting funding and revenue model and the governance structure and stakeholders’ accountability to establish a resilient cornerstone for the development of investment business cases
- Establish the necessary platforms for public-private collaboration, lead the development of a nationwide C-ITS ecosystem, and foster collaborative business models with telcos and other stakeholders to accelerate large-scale C-ITS deployment
- Start the development of the C-ITS ecosystem and create high-value safety use cases that can be delivered using cellular technology in compliance with the global C-ITS standards which can be shared by both technologies.
Considering the incompatibility between DSRC and C-V2X, it’s vital that Australia pays attention to the dominant C-ITS technology in the majority of vehicles. Moreover, it’s crucial to stay abreast of the current trends in connected car technology when deciding on the adoption and investment in a specific standard.
By aligning investments in C-ITS roadside infrastructure with a widely accepted C-ITS standard, this approach safeguards against the risk of the substantial infrastructure serving only a small portion of vehicles or even becoming obsolete.
Therefore, we believe, Australia should refrain from hastily committing to a specific standard within the next one to two years. Instead, the country needs an evaluation of trends and prevalent technologies before making a well-informed decision.
Download the report
The final report for this project assessed both technologies and made observations and recommendations across a number of areas, including:
- C-ITS Technology Readiness
- C-ITS Technology Roadmaps
- Global Support
- Long-Range Communications
- Optimising the ITS Spectrum for Short-Range Communications
- C-ITS for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles
- Cost, Value Model and Governance
- Security and Privacy
- Envisioning Future C-ITS Devices for Road Users
In each a detailed assessment is made of the maturity and spread of standards, and the pros and cons of each technology.
Download your copy of the final report, A Comparative Assessment of C-ITS Technologies, by clicking the button below.
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A comprehensive and great read – thank you. To reap the safety and productivity benefits it is critical to continue to expand the understanding and capabilities of C-ITS through engagement and demonstrations. The Australian (and New Zealand) automotive technology sector is strong and continues to grow with amazing innovation that will help accelerate C-ITS both at home and abroad.