The next-generation of connected cars are highly likely to rely on 5G to communicate with other nearby vehicles and devices to improve safety. In-vehicle features will be periodically refreshed, improving the functionality of the infotainment system or patching a gap in cyber security. Faster download speeds and ‘always on’ connectivity will allow for accurate, real-time localisation of the vehicle—useful for navigation systems today and particularly in autonomous vehicles (AVs) of the future, not to mention teleoperated heavy trucks.
Much of the work in this space is being carried out by suppliers of semiconductors and processors that enable all of these functions. Qualcomm, in particular, has set out to be a leader in the provision of 5G platforms, and is now in its third generation of 5G products. On 13 January, it announced the US$1.4bn acquisition of Nuvia, a start-up founded by a trio of ex-Apple engineers that
