The future of connected driving
The future is here. Autonomous driving has long been an R&D focus. Our 5G Mobility Lab specialises in connected mobility. We collaborated with the Aldenhoven Testing Centre and our other automotive partners to develop a testing site vision in an open innovation method framework.
It unites the latest mobile communications technology with diverse track elements to provide a unique testing environment. The North Rhine-Westphalian state government is additionally funding the 5G research infrastructure with European Regional Development Fund resources via its NRW-5G project.
The 5G Mobility Lab test site has 12 track elements and an open test environment. In addition to the current and future generations of cellular technology the lab has network architectures for V2V and V2X connectivity. This makes multiple test scenarios under real life conditions possible.
Autonomous driving and connected vehicles with mobile edge computing
Autonomous driving is dependent on very high-performance networks with low latency and high reliability. Mobile edge computing is a technology offering new possibilities to deliver all those things. The Vodafone 5G Mobility Lab teamed up with Ericsson and Toyota to test how data can be reliably transmitted.
Remote control via network slicing: basis for aviation applications
Vodafone uses network slicing technology to isolate end-to-end local networks for specific applications. It can be used to guarantee network capacity and latency for the remote control of zeppelins or drones - irrespective of how many other people are using the mobile network. The airship "ALtAIR" could support the emergency services to ensure safety through live streaming.
Improving German road safety with smart vehicle connectivity
The digital shield is one of the application scenarios researched by Vodafone and Continental. It involves road users being equipped with a communication module. All road users can then share information about their position and direction of travel via a base station. If the system identifies a potential collision, a warning is given - This is how the system can protect against accidents.
Realistic setup of test scenarios in a varied communication network
Vodafone can test diverse traffic infrastructure and communication scenarios in a fully connected and configurable test environment.
Cellular technologies
- 2G, 4G, 5G Non-standalone (NSA) und Standalone (SA)
- Long Term Evolution for Machines (LTE-M)
- Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT)
- Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS)
Core technologies
- 5G Core
- Evolved Packet Core (EPC)
- Network Slicing
- Campus-Netz
Advanced technologies
- Mobile Edge Computing (MEC)
- Vehicle to Everything (V2X)
- Millimeterwelle (mmWave)
- Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS)
- AWS Wavelength
Testing mobility in real time
With the mobile radio test network of the 5G Mobility Lab, realistic mobility scenarios with networked road users can be simulated and tested on many different route elements at the Aldenhoven Testing Center.
This project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund:
The 5G Lab
We make it possible to experience next generation mobile technology as we work on innovations with new radio, mobile edge computing and similar new technologies.
The IoT Future Lab
This is where we develop the future of the Internet of Things and certify enterprise customers' IoT devices for use in our Vodafone mobile network.
The Innovation Garage
This is where we tinker with innovative ideas and concepts using the latest technologies with our team of students and interns.