Vodafone's STEP road safety platform tested in Berlin

Vodafone’s Safer Transport for Europe Platform (STEP), designed to improve safety by connecting road users directly with each other and the transport authorities, has been tested on public roads in Berlin, and demonstrated interoperability with several other V2X (‘Vehicle-to-Everything’) systems.

At an event organised by the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) in Berlin, STEP was tested with networked road users in a wide range of scenarios to reflect everyday situations and conditions, from pedestrians or cyclists in the road, to the presence of emergency vehicles that need right of way.

Importantly, STEP has been designed to be compatible with all third-party apps and in-vehicle navigation systems, so road users using any device can benefit.

Marika Auramo, CEO of Vodafone Business, said: “Vodafone has been working with transport and technology partners to make our roads safer, and this trial brings us closer to this goal. Our network has a unique role to play in bringing together secure anonymised data in real time to benefit all road users when split-second timing counts.”

Live testing with pedestrians, cyclists, construction workers and more

As well as Vodafone’s STEP, the technology demonstration in Berlin also used traffic networking platforms from LG Electronics and Commsignia, all connected to Vodafone Germany’s 5G network and the Deutsche Telekom network.

Real-time information from pedestrians, road workers and cyclists was transmitted to cars via their smartphones with minimal delay. This boosts safety in potentially dangerous situations, for example when a cyclist is in the blind spot of a vehicle.

The position data was anonymised and enabled, pedestrians and traffic infrastructure securely while retaining user privacy.

Low latency and real-time data sharing

Data was processed on dedicated Multi-Edge Computing Servers that acted as 'mini data centres' located close to the road. This gave the data the shortest possible distance to travel, enabling latencies of less than 10 milliseconds between participants. The servers also connected the different digital traffic safety services, allowing them to exchange data with each other.

Following the success of the Berlin tests, Vodafone will continue to explore how STEP can be used to boost the road safety systems of the future. As more V2X systems and autonomous technologies become mainstream, drivers can look forward to a safer and more informed driving experience.