EU member states have sided with the mobile industry and rejected the European Commission's proposal to adopt a Wi-Fi standard favoured by car makers for connected car communication. A meeting of EU state representatives, known as Coreper, objected to the decision, calling for the Commission to reconsider.
The new minimum technical requirements for Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) were adopted in March by the Commission and cleared by the European Parliament in April. They take the form of a so-called delegated act, which takes effect automatically unless the Parliament or Council of the EU objects.
The specifications establish the minimal legal requirements for interoperability between the different systems used for vehicles and transport systems to communicate. The Commission recommended use of the Wi-Fi based ITS-G5 standard for short-range communications.
Industry groups such as the GSMA and GSA claimed the rules favour the "outdated" Wi-Fi technology 802.11p and instead want the EU to "maintain flexibility" so other technologies, such as Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) connectivity, have time to develop and mature. C-V2X provides more security, range and quality of service than 802.11p, the mobile industry group claims.
The decision to reconsider the standards was welcomed by the industry groups, which had lobbied the Council to block the decision. The 5G automotive Association said "we very much welcome this decision which underlines the need for technology neutrality regarding connected mobility".
