37 Companies Join Forces In European Automotive-Telecom Alliance

At a roundtable on connected and automated driving in Brussels, initiated and chaired by Günther Oettinger, European commissioner for digital economy and society, the automotive and telecom industries have formally announced the creation of Europe’s first Automotive-Telecom Alliance. The Alliance includes six leading associations, as well as 37 companies, including telecom operators, vendors, automobile manufacturers and suppliers for both cars and trucks.

The main goal of this alliance is to promote the wider deployment of connected and automated driving in Europe. The first concrete step is the advancement of a “Pre-Deployment Project” aimed at testing three major use-case categories, with exact details still to be decided:

Automated driving – could include high-density platooning, remotely controlled parking, highway chauffeur and high-definition maps;
Road safety and traffic efficiency – could include traffic optimization for smart cities;
Digitalization of transport and logistics – could include remote sensing and data management.

These tests will aim to identify and address both technological and regulatory issues. Among other important elements, the project will tackle interoperability issues as well as infrastructure investment to address connectivity needs, and the improving of safety and security. At the same time, pilot projects will help to elaborate the basic business models that both sectors can start deploying when investing in these technologies.

Funding will be crucial, the Alliance says. It is setting up a dedicated task force to ensure that pilot projects can count on the necessary resources and the cooperation of public authorities, which are both prerequisites to the success of the project.

In terms of coordination and administration, the Alliance has appointed ERTICO (Europe’s Intelligent Transport Systems Partnership) as project manager. So far, the initiative involves the following member states: Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland.

The Alliance is working toward finalizing the details of the Pre-Deployment Project by December 2016.

Members of the Alliance

Associations

ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association represents the 15 Europe-based car, van, truck and bus manufacturers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford of Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco, Jaguar Land Rover, Opel Group, PSA Group, Renault Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars and Volvo Group.

CLEPA is the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, which supports 119 of the world’s most prominent suppliers for car parts, systems and modules. In addition, 23 national trade associations and European sector associations are members of CLEPA, representing more than 3,000 companies, employing more than 5 million people and covering all products and services within the automotive supply chain. Based in Brussels, Belgium, CLEPA is recognized as the natural discussion partner by the European Institutions, United Nations and fellow associations (ACEA, JAMA, MEMA, etc.).

ETNO represents Europe’s leading telecommunications network operators, which provide European citizens with innovative digital communication and services. ETNO, founded in 1992, is the principal policy group for European network operators and aims at supporting a positive policy environment to deliver the best quality services to consumers and businesses.

ECTA, the European Competitive Telecommunications Association, is the pan-European pro-competitive trade association that represents more than 100 of the leading challenger telecoms operators across Europe. For more than a decade, ECTA has been supporting the regulatory and commercial interests of telecoms operators, ISPs and equipment manufacturers in pursuit of a fair regulatory environment that allows all electronic communications providers to compete on level terms. ECTA members have been the leading innovators in internet services, broadband, business communications, entertainment and mobile.

GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organizations in adjacent industry sectors. GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai and the Mobile 360 Series conferences.

GSA represents the worldwide mobile supplier ecosystem engaged in the delivery of infrastructure, semiconductors, test equipment, mobile devices, applications and mobile support services. GSA is a trusted single source of information for industry reports and market intelligence on the progress and commercialization of 3G, 4G and 5G technologies covering areas such as device features and availability, industry technology roadmaps and vertical applications for the “Internet of Things.”

Companies