What you need to know
- A company in Jacksonville, Florida will utilize a private 5G network from T-Mobile to operate autonomous vehicles.
- The autonomous shuttles will run on a loop between EverBank Stadium and a new waterfront area, seamlessly integrating into Jacksonville’s existing public transit network.
- 5G is crucial for ensuring the reliability and scalability of fleets of autonomous vehicles, as Wi-Fi and cellular networks have limitations.
Initially hailed as the next big thing in mobile connectivity, 5G has fallen short of expectations. However, T-Mobile is aiming to demonstrate one of the primary applications of 5G by introducing autonomous vehicles to Jacksonville, Florida.
T-Mobile has announced a partnership with Miller Electric Company to introduce fully autonomous shuttles along a three-mile route in Jacksonville. These shuttle buses will be connected to a private 5G network through T-Mobile’s Advanced Network Solutions (ANS), as they deem existing technologies like Wi-Fi as less reliable and scalable compared to 5G.
According to Mishka Dehghan, an SVP at T-Mobile Business Group, “5G is the key that will unlock the autonomous vehicle future that science fiction has teased us with for years.”
In this specific project, autonomous shuttles will link EverBank Stadium with the new waterfront development in Jacksonville and are scheduled to begin operation in mid-2025. The private 5G network will require new infrastructure, designed in conjunction with existing power and fiber plans for the waterfront project. These shuttles align with Jacksonville’s “Ultimate Urban Circulator” plan and represent the initial phase, with future plans to connect neighborhoods using self-driving shuttles.
The secure, reliable private 5G network supported by T-Mobile will facilitate two-way communication between the shuttles and the command center. It will also transmit real-time telemetry data from onboard sensors, as well as audio and video feeds to connect employees with passengers.
This Jacksonville project could be just the beginning of new ventures enabled by the speed and reliability of 5G. T-Mobile directs cities and government departments interested in similar projects to its enterprise site, hinting at a potential future where 5G drives the realization of self-driving cars. Only time will tell if 5G is the technology that paves the way for self-driving cars, with mid-2025 as the anticipated milestone.