As 5G networks continue to be rolled out worldwide, the impact of increased connectivity will be huge. ABI Research predicts that there will be 41 million 5G-connected cars by 2030, equipped with cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication capabilities. Some cars released this year will already have 5G capabilities, collecting data on everything from energy consumption to collisions to traffic conditions.

C-V2X is a global system for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-everything communications, developed by the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project. Recently, this system was standardised within Europe by the European Telecommunication Standardisation Institute (ETSI) for intelligent transportation system devices.

Some automobile manufacturers are already equipping their cars with C-V2X for 2021, such as Ford, while others are partnering with large telecommunications companies to further develop V2X technology for connected vehicles. There is a chance that further advancements will significantly enhance transportation through increased traffic efficiency, reduced fuel consumption and a decrease in traffic accidents.

As these new communications systems and protocols are being developed, however, it is critical to make the security framework and message integrity as a priority. Without secure communications, vehicles are highly vulnerable to cyberattacks, which can counter or obfuscate critical messages, leading to stolen data or accidents. There should be many layers of security, so that if a surface layer is breached, there are other measures in place to prevent a serious hack. Solutions like Angoka’s offers a final layer of defence, which protects the identity and integrity of messages when all other security measures have failed.

5G offers the chance to optimise automotive transportation, hopefully paving the way for safer driving and traffic conditions, and lessening needless accidents and deaths. With careful and thorough security development, 5G will be the next step in automotive innovation.