Tech Talk

5G Fills the Need for Connected Speed

Innovation & Insight

Tobias Aderum, Director of Research & Innovation, Magna Electronics
September 09, 2024
3-min read

For most of us, the latest 5G mobile network is a little more than a marketing tactic from our phone carriers, but it is the “Top Gun” response to keeping us connected — it fulfills the need for speed.

The 4G network was introduced in 2009 and was fast at the time, but the “traffic” handled by mobile carriers has increased more than 300 percent since then. Just like highways, lots of traffic means slower speed.

5G not only offers greater bandwidth to handle the ever-increasing traffic on the mobile network, it also does it faster. Much faster. From the perspective of peak speed, 5G is up to 20 times faster than 4G.

Think of it as being able to download 20 movies on a phone in the time it takes a 4G phone to download one. Such speed is fundamental to the software-enabled Car of the Future, and we’re discovering the magic of what 5G can do at Magna’s NorthStar test track in Vargarda, Sweden. That’s where cutting-edge 5G millimeter wave trials are taking place, allowing Magna to push the boundaries of ADAS and vehicle connectivity in real-life scenarios, including complex traffic situations, by utilizing low latency gigabit speeds and seamless connectivity.

Portrait of Tobias Aderum, Director Innovation, Magna Electronics

The benefits to consumers will be significant, particularly when it comes to safety, and our Collective Perception technology is a great example. It showcases how vehicle sensor information can be shared with cloud infrastructure to create a virtual digital twin of the real-world environment along with additional information from other digital services and infrastructure. Services in the cloud can process that collective data and select the information to send back to the connected vehicles to augment the situational awareness beyond what the driver and local sensor set can provide.

To put that another way, a car communicates with others nearby, regardless of the brand, sharing data that can help it react sooner to safety risks.

There’s more to test and learn at our NorthStar test track and with Collective Perception, but it demonstrates our preparation for the global transition to 5G’s instantly responsive network and ubiquitous coverage. In fact, as Magna is involved in almost every aspect of the vehicle, we can tap into resources from powertrain, exteriors, lighting, mechatronics and seating to help develop even more 5G innovations.

The integration of 5G enables vehicles to become more than just modes of transport. They can evolve into intelligent nodes within a larger connected ecosystem, enhancing everything from traffic management to personal convenience.

We’re also thinking even bigger to 6G, the sixth generation of cellular networks, which is due around 2030. When that arrives, there will be even more possibilities for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity. This will further revolutionize not only how we drive but also how we live, fostering smarter, safer and more efficient urban environments.

In other words, when it comes to the need for connected speed, Magna is ready Goose and Maverick.