NEMA CEO Debra Phillips led future of transportation talk with industry leaders

By Steve Griffith, PMP

NEMA Members Applied Information, Yunex Traffic and Qualcomm along with automakers Ford and Audi, joined NEMA President and CEO Debra Phillips for a look at the future of transportation at the 2023 ITS America Annual Meeting. As our roads and highways are undergoing a transformation, conversations like these are vital. Our members are leading us towards an automated, connected and safer future.

The same day as this panel, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a waiver order permitting Cellular Vehicle-to Everything (C-V2X) waivers in the 5.9 GHz band. So, what is C-V2X and why should you get excited about this waiver? This waiver is a crucial step in advancing the way vehicles communicate directly with each other, or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), roadside infrastructure, or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I). This creates an immediate and positive impact on road safety. According to National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2021 saw the most traffic fatalities, 42,000, in 16 years. The NHTSA estimates that V2V safety applications could prevent or mitigate the severity of up to 80% of non-impaired crashes. This waiver can help to spur greater deployment of this life-saving communications technology.

NEMA members are at the center of this infrastructure evolution. Here’s a look at how:

• Qualcomm: Qualcomm specializes in connecting our world, from smartphones, to 5G networks, to electrifying our automotive industry. Senior Director, Product Management, Jim Misener, spoke with Debra at ITSA ’23 about this FCC waiver and how it will impact the growth of the industry. His blog on the matter is here.
  
• Yunex Traffic: Yunex is utilizing their technology to connect cities, focus on safety and environmental responsibility while maximizing quality of life. In March, London awarded Yunex the contract to install and maintain traffic signal assets across 21 of London’s 32 Boroughs and the City of London. The C-V2X will allow for progress on Yunex’s Intelligent traffic management and smart intersections in the UK, US and around the world.
  
• Applied Information: Applied Information Connected Vehicle System simplifies and enables communication with C-V2X.  According to President, Bryan Mulligan, this waiver creates regulatory certainty, eliminating stumbling blocks for car companies to deploy. After the panel, Bryan along with Audi dove into the topic with more detail. Check out the full interview here. On May 4, Applied will also host a C-V2X webinar – you can register for the event here.

Audi and Ford Motors are eager to partner with NEMA Members on deploying C-V2X. The timing for this waiver is right on target as we were able to get immediate feedback from the companies at the forefront of the implementation.

ITSA 2023 and our Transportation 2030 panel was an important step towards an electrified transportation system. NEMA will continue to work with our members and coalition partners towards a future that is increasingly connected, electrified, shared, integrated, seamless, and ultimately autonomous.