ACM TechNews

EU Reserves Spectrum for 'Talking' Cars

InformationWeek (08/06/08) Perez, Marin

The European Commission has agreed to set aside 30-MHz spectrum of the 5.9 GHz band for use in an initiative designed to reduce congestion and save lives by enabling vehicles to communicate with one another about hazardous conditions and other traffic impediments. By using the wireless spectrum, a vehicle would be able to "tell" nearby vehicles if, for example, a slippery patch is detected, or, warned by a traffic management center of a sudden road closure, could pass on the information to other affected cars. "Today's Commission decision is a decisive step towards meeting the European goal of reducing road accidents," says Viviane Reding, the European Union's telecommunications commissioner. "Getting critical messages through quickly and accurately is a must for road safety." Though technology already exists to make the endeavor possible, the initiative aims to develop a standard unionwide system.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/gps/
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