Standards for vehicular communication - from IEEE 802.11p to 5G

Standardization for wireless vehicular communication ensures, as in other domains, interoperability, supports regulations and legislation, and creates larger markets. For the initial deployment of vehicular communication, consistent sets of standards have been created, commonly named C-ITS in Europe and DSRC in the U.S., both relying on the WiFi standard IEEE 802.11. These initial standard sets specify vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication and enable applications primarily for driver information and warnings. The article provides an overview of the key C-ITS and DSRC protocols from a standardization perspective. The article analyzes automated driving as the potential new application domain for vehicular communication, discusses its requirements on communication, and derives potential directions for future releases of the vehicular communication standards.