Executive View: The role connectivity can play in improving vehicle safety

As Original Equipment Managers (OEMs) strive to attain level five driving automation – the highest level of automation as defined by the Society of American Engineers (SAE) – the safety of such advanced technology has come into close focus in recent years, writes Damian Lewis of Viasat.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs), like human drivers, will need to be always connected, alert, and vigilant to keep people safe.

But robust, reliable connectivity is critical to the safety of all connected cars, let alone fully autonomous vehicles. Key features such as telematics, access to emergency services and real-time road safety updates depend on devices being able to communicate effectively with one another as part of the broader Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem. 

So, how can vehicle manufacturers help drivers access the benefits of connectivity that are available today, while they continue the push towards tomorrow’s autonomy?

Increasingly, manufacturers are looking to a new form of connectivity called direct-to-device (D2D) - which allows vehicles to seamlessly switch between a combination of cellular and satellite networks - to provide uninterrupted driver safety services and further unlock a potential $26.4bn growth opportunity, according to some reports, within the connected cars market by 2030. 

The connectivity challenge in the race to automation

As car giants like Ford and Tesla, and newer entrants like Cruise accelerate towards the creation of fully autonomous vehicles, it’s important to understand the role connectivity will play in ensuring their success.

Specifically, Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communications will play an important role in enhancing safety, efficiency and overall performance of autonomous vehicles.

Connecting with traffic signals and roadside tolls can allow vehicles to adjust their speed and maintain continuous travel to ensure a smoother and safer journey, reducing fuel consumption and reducing accidents at intersections.

Real time weather, traffic, and road condition updates can help autonomous vehicles to adjust driving behaviour for optimal safety. Connecting to city infrastructure including the electrical grid can help determine the best time to charge or discharge energy back into the grid. And of course, emergency communications can be triggered immediately in the event of an incident, reducing response time.

Cellular networks can reliably connect AVs to other vehicles and broader systems in well-connected areas with minimal congestion. However, drivers relying on autopilot—and its complex network of supporting systems—cannot afford any drop in connectivity. Cellular coverage gaps are a reality, particularly in remote and rural areas. D2D mitigates the risk of momentary lapses in connectivity that could have dangerous consequences for a driver and those around them.

Direct-to-device: a safer road ahead?

To ensure continuous connectivity for critical vehicle functions, OEMs are increasingly looking to integrate D2D Sims into the antennas of their cars to enable them to leverage D2D connectivity. This allows cars to switch seamlessly between cellular and satellite networks, with satellite providers acting as a reliable back-up in areas with limited to no cellular coverage to ensure always-on connectivity and enable AVs to provide the highest level of safety and performance for drivers.

Beyond the practical safety enhancements, another key benefit of D2D connectivity is the constant, real-time collection of data. From tire pressure to oil levels, such insights could support enhanced predictive maintenance of AVs to help drivers avoid issues while on the road. This data could also be used by insurers to improve the accuracy of insurance quotes to drive cost savings for drivers, or by car dealerships to offer personalised predictive maintenance as a value-add service.

It is also important to remember that AVs are software-enabled vehicles, meaning safety threats can be virtual too. Introducing any new connectivity node to a network has the potential to increase risk - it’s essential that satellite operators and the associated value chain understand and operate the highest standards of cyber security to avoid impact from potential bad actors.

Connectivity beyond safety

Beyond mitigating many of the health and safety concerns associated with AVs, there are also strong commercial advantages to leveraging D2D connectivity, including cost reductions, increasing operational efficiencies, and enhancing sustainable outcomes.

While cellular networks have traditionally been cheaper to operate, D2D is increasingly democratising access to more robust, reliable satellite connectivity as newer terminals can be smaller – and therefore cheaper and easier to fit into vehicles. What’s more, OEMs increasingly only need to pay for each message sent or minute used via D2D networks, rather than paying for constant roaming, again making access to satellite connectivity more cost effective for many.

For connected fleets in particular, real-time vehicle data unlocked by D2D will help optimise operational efficiency via predictive maintenance warnings, route optimisation, asset tracking, and improved stock management. These benefits can also support better sustainable outcomes when considering the size and scale of many fleets.

Leveraging the D2D ecosystem to meet the AV need

While the benefits of D2D connectivity for connected cars are clear, the road to adoption is a little more complex. The D2D ecosystem is vast and wide-ranging – from the chipset manufacturers developing D2D compliant chipsets, to OEMs integrating the necessary hardware into their vehicles – there are many parties involved in the development of this space.

However, with over 400 million connected cars expected on the roads by 2025, and a projected 33 million driverless cars by 2040, the opportunity for this entire ecosystem is substantial.

With robust, reliable satellite connectivity at the crux of this challenge, network providers like Viasat will be central to supporting the cross-industry innovation needed to improve driver safety and unlock the industry opportunity at the heart of the AV market.

Then, and only then, can we hope to achieve level five automation at the highest level of safety and security for drivers, and unleash the full potential of the connected car market on the entire industry.

Damian Lewis is market insight manager at Viasat