The first 5G-based test track for self-driving cars has opened in the Hungarian city of Zalaegerszeg. The track uses 5G mobile technology installed by Swedish IT company Ericsson.
The track, known as ZalaZone, offers a unique testing opportunity for car manufacturers in Europe that are relying on 5G network infrastructure, with a two-kilometre handling course that includes a multi-surface braking platform and multiple test track modules for everything from highway roads to bad rural roads and a water basin.
“Right now, the car of the future is just on a practice lap,” commented Claes Herlitz, head of global automotive Services at Ericsson. “5G will give us the green flag to speed up innovation. The millisecond latency of 5G will enable workloads to be shifted, balancing what work gets done in the car, and what gets done in the cloud. This makes access to data faster and allows us to transform the onboard architecture of vehicles.”
Hungarian telecommunications company Magyar Telekom and service provider T-Systems worked together with Ericsson for the development of the track.
“The ZalaZone test track experience shows how various industries and academic institutions can join together to push the boundaries of what can be achieved using 5G technology,” explained Gábor Éry, country manager of Ericsson Hungary. “Ericsson is very proud to have contributed to the first 5G technology-based self-driving car demonstration in Hungary with the company’s leading 5G technology.”
[…] Hungarian higher education institutions are undertaking a significant role in the development of drone technology and have recognised the importance of related knowledge. Drones are also in use at the Zalaegerszeg test track for self-driving vehicles, opened earlier this year. […]