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USDOT reports to US Congress on DSRC for connected vehicles

By Aaron Turpen
February 08, 2016
USDOT reports to US Congress on DSRC for connected vehicles
The USDOT has been assessing the feasibility of the 5.9 Gigahertz broadcast frequency for short-range communications between vehicles and infrastructure
The USDOT has been assessing the feasibility of the 5.9 Gigahertz broadcast frequency for short-range communications between vehicles and infrastructure
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DSRC is a Wi-Fi derivative developed to meet the specialized needs for secure and low-latency wireless connections in data communications
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DSRC is a Wi-Fi derivative developed to meet the specialized needs for secure and low-latency wireless connections in data communications
The USDOT has been assessing the feasibility of the 5.9 Gigahertz broadcast frequency for short-range communications between vehicles and infrastructure
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The USDOT has been assessing the feasibility of the 5.9 Gigahertz broadcast frequency for short-range communications between vehicles and infrastructure

The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has released its report to the United States Congress assessing the status of dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) for connected vehicle technologies. The findings are that they are ready for deployment.

DSRC is a Wi-Fi derivative developed to meet the specialized needs for secure and low-latency wireless connections in data communications. It is poised to be the standard for communicating between operating vehicles (moving or not), infrastructure, and mobile devices.

The USDOT has been assessing the feasibility of the 5.9 Gigahertz broadcast frequency for short-range communications between vehicles and infrastructure. After considering safety from interruption probabilities and the likelihood that the communications range would or would not be impeded by other signals, the DOT has found that the 5.9 GHz frequency is ready for deployment as the preferred license choice for these connected vehicle technologies. The USDOT also found that the tech and applications being pursued currently could offer safer and more efficient transportation.

DSRC is a Wi-Fi derivative developed to meet the specialized needs for secure and low-latency wireless connections in data communications
DSRC is a Wi-Fi derivative developed to meet the specialized needs for secure and low-latency wireless connections in data communications

The USDOT's report, The Status of the Dedicated Short-Range Communications Technology and Applications, also considered known gaps as well as potential issues with DSRC technology and some of its applications. The report describes a recommended implementation path using real-world traffic and roadway examples. This path begins with safety for crash avoidance alerts and warnings and moves through to fully automated driving technologies.

Source: USDOT (PDF)

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AutomotiveAutonomous VehiclesDSRCConnected vehicles
8 comments
Aaron Turpen
Aaron Turpen
Aaron is a Wyoming-based automotive journalist with interests in electronic and engineering technology. Outside of New Atlas, Aaron is a prolific writer, father of two, and would-be chicken farmer.

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8 comments
Rigby5
And also the end of privacy about where you are and where you travel to. I don't think anyone is going to be willing to make that trade off.
Rann Xeroxx
As long as it is a module that is easy and legal for me to unplug from my car, I have no problem with this. Heck, I might even use it and leave it on but I want the choice.
FoeQueue
I'd love this for commuting and long-distance driving, as long as I could still enjoy my vehicle from time to time. It does raise all sorts of "Big Brother" fears, malicious hacker concerns, software bug dangers, and so forth, but given enough time and effort this might be doable.
habakak
@Rigby5.....your geographical privacy was long lost when you got a smartphone.
Stephen N Russell
Test in So CA LA CA & OC alone, Huge demand for Cant we encrypt for Privacy on road?? Voice comm & texting?
Just Cause
The IDs needs to randomized, like the iPhone randomize it's MAC address when being sniffed so that privacy can be maintained.
Mel Tisdale
I wonder if the rest of the world has been considered, even consulted, as far as this being a 'standard' is concerned.
This whole autonomous vehicle idea could all too easily become a dog's dinner even before it comes into operation if someone or some body doesn't take some initiative and give the idea of autonomous vehicles a global perspective. For example, is there any work being done on developing a universal map that is updated and communicated in real time (on a cellular basis?) with mechanisms in place to ensure that road accidents, blockages etc. etc. are included as soon as humanly possible?
One worrying aspect of this is that the notion of vehicle to vehicle communication would also be an integral part of any semi-autonomous application, which I suspect will be about as far as autonomous vehicle technology gets. In other words, it is very important if the idea of globalisation of vehicle sales and usage is concerned even if fully autonomous vehicles prove to be a step too far.
DomainRider
@Rigby5.....I don't know about California, but in the UK your geographical privacy was lost when police ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras became commonplace.