T-Mobile has deployed a private 5G network to power a fleet of autonomous vehicles (AV) in Jacksonville, Florida.
The carrier revealed earlier this week that it had paired with Miller Electric Company to connect a fully autonomous shuttle that transports visitors three miles along Jacksonville's waterfront.
The carrier noted that it will connect the AVs via its 5G Standalone network, stating that other technologies such as WiFi aren't sufficient.
T-Mobile added that the 5G private network infrastructure will be built alongside the already planned power and fiber solutions that support the rest of the waterfront project. No additional infrastructure will be required to support the project.
“5G connectivity provides the highest bandwidth and lowest latency communication between the AVs and the control center,” said Craig Bowman, director of technology, Miller Electric.
“This turnkey solution will enable the vehicles to navigate the streets alongside other vehicle traffic and will ensure the bandwidth we need is available to stream real-time video surveillance and two-way audio and video communications between passengers and employees.”
T-Mobile said it expects the autonomous shuttles to hit the road by mid-2025.
The rollout of the shuttles, the number of which has not been confirmed as of yet, is part of the city's Ultimate Urban Circulator plans, which seeks to connect neighborhoods via automated vehicles.
“5G is the key that will unlock the autonomous vehicle future that science fiction has teased us with for years,” said Mishka Dehghan, SVP, strategy, product, and solutions engineering, T-Mobile Business Group.
“Because T-Mobile 5G offers the flexibility to build dynamic solutions like a 5G private network, our customers can actually build the future they envision, not just imagine it. I’m excited to see how this solution will support a thriving urban corridor and give visitors convenient and futuristic transportation options.”
Earlier this month, T-Mobile launched a portable 5G private network-in-a-box device that can be deployed in less than 48 hours.
