PSA Group, Ericsson and Orange have signed a partnership agreement to conduct a 5G technology pilot for connected cars.

The 'Towards 5G' connected car partnership aims to leverage 4G to 5G technology evolution to address connected vehicle requirements such as intelligent transport system (ITS) to improve road safety, new automotive and in-car services.

The partnership is technically focused on Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) architecture and real-time performances for the deployment of ITS and connected services in vehicles.

Towards 5G allows the three partners to combine their expertise in connected vehicles to meet the challenges of new mobility services and of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Ericsson provides the radio and a distributed virtualised core network to enable network slicing capabilities and intelligent geo-messaging service.

Orange provides the cellular network with the associated spectrum on the field trial site and the on-board connectivity integrating vehicular use cases.

PSA Group is in charge of automotive use case requirement definition, embedded architecture integration, user experience and technical validation.

As a result of their collaboration, the partners will develop a comprehensive experience of the requirements for a 5G infrastructure that fits to the needs of the connected vehicles industry.

They will also identify the full potential of innovative services and use cases for the benefit of improving road safety and for better quality of services to end-users.

"Connected IoT services are a crucial way to enhance the user experience for our customers, who today demand unprecedented levels of comfort and convenience as well as personalised services in their vehicles," said Carla Gohin, Research, Innovation and Advanced Technologies VP, PSA Group.

Charlotta Sund, vice-president and head of customer group industry & society, Ericsson, said: “5G technology will play a key role in the transport system of tomorrow.

"Ericsson is bringing networks, IT and specific innovative solutions to the automotive industry. Along with key players like PSA and Orange, we will ensure the required levels of safety and security as well as contributing to a more sustainable and smart society."