Assessing the possibility of employing 4G cellular networks for VANET applications in place of WAVE -

Abstract

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks, also known as VANETs, are a fundamental part of the envisioned Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). More specifically, vehicle communications are becoming the cornerstone in the future vehicle equipment. By enabling vehicles to communicate with each other as well as with roadside base stations, vehicular networks will contribute to safer and more efficient roads by providing timely information to drivers and concerned authorities. Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communications are the main objective of research nowadays, because Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) communications are already being developed as commercial solutions. Cellular Networks are usually applicable in V2I solutions, whereas ad hoc networks are practically the only technology considered in V2V communications. Due to the fact that Cellular Networks are currently a reality and the operators are continuously improving the service, this communication technology could be considered as a candidate to deal with V2V necessities as well. The interesting research area of Vehicular Networks is that a novel communication paradigm can be introduced by combining V2V and V2I standards into unified system architecture. In this project, the feasibility of using Cellular Networks for V2V will be studied, and a research of related cellular technologies and findings will be conducted to acquire a thorough understanding of the 4G cellular system, specifically the Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, and its applications in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). In essence, the study will comprise an evaluation of deploying a unified V2V and V2I communication system based on cellular networks, as opposed to the IEEE communications standard specifically designed for V2V environments, namely the Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC), which is part of the Wireless Access in Vehicular Environment (WAVE) standard.