May/June 2021 | Vol. 26 No. 3

by Kezhen Shen, Program Manager, NEMA

NEMA has published a harmonized technical specification that facilitates vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication regardless of the type of device or underlying technology. NEMA TS 10 Connected Vehicle Infrastructure-Roadside Equipment, was developed collaboratively by NEMA Members of the Transportation Management Systems and Associated Control Devices Section along with input from the broader Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) industry, State Departments of Transportation, and certification bodies to address the current industry gaps by providing procurement solutions for infrastructure owners and operators specific applications needs such as emergency vehicle signal preemption, pedestrian crossing ahead, and entering school or work zones.

NEMA TS 10 supports standardized over- the-air wireless messaging, applications, and cybersecurity elements with connected vehicles. It also enables agencies to have confidence in procuring infrastructure equipment that remains interoperable and effective as technology advances. It harmonizes communication protocols from the roadside unit to the central system with NTCIP 1218 v01 Object Definitions for Roadside Units (RSUs) and establishes the RSU certification process with an emphasis on test and conformity assessment leading to the use of Security Credential Management System (SCMS) certificates. It also allows the coexistence of multiple communication technologies (e.g., dedicated short range communications (DSRC) and cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X). The NEMA Transportation Management System Section is already looking ahead to future work projects related to NEMA TS 10. these include revisions based on the recent Federal Communication Commission (FCC) 5.9 GHz rulemaking, development of implementation guideline, a FAQ webpage and possible walkthrough webinar. ei