Vehicle Safety Will Drive Early Deployments of DSRC, According to ABI Research

NEW YORK--While industry participants continue to fine-tune the details of the standard for DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communications), the major players are keen to start rolling out some product to begin getting real world experience. Formal test plans are progressing pretty much on schedule, but there are signs that some OEMs will not be waiting for a national infrastructure to be in place before they take the initiative, according to a new report from ABI Research.

Early proponents of DSRC were bullish on the prospects for fee collection and vehicle identification. Now those functions appear to have taken a back seat to safety and traffic information. Improved traffic flow will also have the benefit of improving fuel consumption by reducing the amount of time drivers spend idling in traffic jams.

“The worldwide government focus on improving safety and reducing fatalities will drive early implementations that will have limited functionality,” says David Alexander, ABI Research principal analyst. “Once the basic infrastructure and a significant number of vehicles are equipped, new applications are expected to emerge that will accelerate the implementation of DSRC.”

The bandwidth and exclusivity of DSRC frequency bands will make it the preferred medium for safety applications such as intersection collision avoidance and advanced warning systems. Real-time traffic information is the next benefit, providing the automakers potential for enhancing the value of their built-in navigation systems. Municipalities and other organizations responsible for traffic flow are keen to support the rollout to keep their own constituents happy.

Wi-Fi and cellular-based services, as well as custom systems for emergency responders, will continue to grow in the automotive space, and the challenge for the future will be to integrate with DSRC to provide seamless service for road users.

The new ABI Research report, “Dedicated Short-Range Communications” (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/market_research/Dedicated_Short_ Range_Communications_(DSRC)) provides an overview of the current status of the technology being rolled out, and an assessment of when it will be implemented. It forms part of five subscription ABI Research Services: Automotive Electronics (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Automotive_Electronics_ Research_Service), Commercial Telematics (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Commercial_Telematics_ Research_Service), Driver Assistance (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Driver_Assistance_ Research_Service), Location Aware Services (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Location_Aware_Services), and Short-Range Wireless (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Short_Range_ Wireless_Research_Service). (Due to their lengths, these URLs may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York, ABI Research maintains global operations supporting annual research programs, intelligence services, and market reports in broadband and multimedia, RFID and M2M, wireless connectivity, mobile wireless, transportation, and emerging technologies. For information, visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.