SKT, Commercializing 'C-ITS' for Smart City

SKT is going to commercialize 'C-ITS', a next-generation intelligent transportation system.

SK Telecom made an announcement on the 8th that it plans to successfully finish 'C-ITS (Cooperative-Intelligent Transport Systems)' demonstration project in late June that connects vehicles, pedestrians, and transportation infrastructure in Seoul with 5G.

Since early 2019, SKT has been working with the Seoul Metropolitan Government on a successful C-ITS demonstration project. SKT has been building autonomous driving testbeds with 5G sensors, IoT-built city buses, and taxis on major roads in Seoul, including attaching 1,735 5G sensors to major roads and traffic lights that are 151km long.

▲ More than 67 million ‘traffic safety information’ per day on 1,735 5G sensors
SKT introduced the world's first 5G-based V2X (vehicle everything), a technology in which vehicles exchange information with other vehicles, pedestrians, and various transportation-related infrastructures prior to the opening of the autonomous driving era through the completion of the C-ITS demonstration project in Seoul.

SKT explained that the information obtained through the IoT sensor is sent by the average daily, 43 million related to walking signals and pedestrian access, 5.8 million related to pot-holes, and 520,000 related to congestion at platforms, helping drivers to drive safely.

In addition, a variety of traffic-related information, including location-based traffic information, dangerous sections, unauthorized pedestrian access, tunnel accident information, and passing through overtaking lanes, are provided to public transportation drivers participating in the demonstration project. Especially, it has implemented the traffic light color of the front intersection and the service to guide the remaining seconds of the green signal in the future.

▲ 5G ADAS, installed in 1,700 public transports and ‘upgrade’ road traffic

In addition to roads and traffic lights, Seoul and SKT are also operating 5G ADAS and dedicated terminals in 1,600 city buses and 100 taxis for V2X demonstration projects between vehicles and traffic infrastructure.

5G ADAS is a system that helps drivers drive safely, such as lane departure prevention alerts and forward collision prevention, and supports the safe use of buses and taxis by applying it to public transportation through the C-ITS demonstration project in Seoul.

In particular, 5G ADAS checks 124 kinds of road traffic information, including signs, road markings, construction information, and potholes, and analyzes AI in the cloud and reflects information on HD Map, a key infrastructure in the era of self-driving, in real-time

▲Opening a testbed to accelerating ecosystem creation for the era of autonomous driving

SKT has built an autonomous cooperation testbed in Seoul and Sangam DMC, and is opening free of charge to industry, academia, and research, spurring the creation of related ecosystems.

In particular, autonomous driving and connected buses will allow ordinary citizens to experience them not only at performance reporting sessions but also at the 2021 Seoul Smart Mobility Expo event (June 10-12). 

In addition, Seoul Metropolitan Government and SKT is providing traffic signals and safety information secured through C-ITS in 5G to public navigation providers, and these companies are building-related platforms to give such information to users of their services in real-time. The platform is expected to be completed by 2022.

SKT confirmed that the 5G-based V2X service can be operated successfully through the execution of this demonstration project, and revealed that it will be the base for full-scale 5G-based autonomous driving demonstration in the future.

"Seoul City's C-ITS demonstration project will be a starting line for South Korea's mobility to evolve based on 5G," said Shin Yong-sik, head of SKT IoT CO. "We will continue to prepare for the era of self-driving with the world's best 5G technology."

Reported by Smart City Today