The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), in partnership with BMW Group and Viasat, has showcased connected vehicles using non-terrestrial networks (NTN) for emergency messaging, as well as 5G-based vehicle-to-everything (V2X) Direct services for advanced detection of vulnerable road users (VRU) in real-traffic conditions.
The global organisation comprises more than 110 members, including leading global automakers, Tier-1 suppliers, mobile operators, semiconductor companies and test equipment suppliers. The members’ mission is to develop end-to-end products for future mobility and transport services, defining and developing the next generation of connected mobility, automated vehicles and intelligent transport offerings based on cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) platforms.
The showcase in Paris saw BMW Group and Viasat demonstrate the ability for vehicles to connect over satellite for emergency messaging and hazard warnings, something that 5GAA says will vastly improve the safety standards of the automotive industry. In particular, it’s said to have shown how vehicles can switch between cellular and non-terrestrial networks, allowing for drivers to receive real-time emergency alerts and weather warnings.
In the showcase, 5GAA members BMW Group and Stellantis, and technology partners Anritsu, Cubic³, Deutsche Telekom, Harman, Jember, LG Electronics, Qualcomm Technologies, Rohde & Schwarz, Rolling Wireless, Skylo, Vedecom Institute and Viasat, demonstrated NTN satellite connectivity. Demonstrations focused respectively on realising in-vehicle integration of hazard warning and emergency messaging use cases, as well as illustrating that NTN complements terrestrial 4G and 5G networks in the future.
Anritsu, Keysight Technologies, Rohde & Schwarz, and MediaTek complemented the NTN demonstrations with parallel test equipment measurements for performance verification. For the first time on the road, 5GAA member Valeo, in collaboration with Marben, demonstrated 5G-V2X Direct, in which two vehicles shared sensor data, triggering a warning of a pedestrian crossing at an obstructed intersection.
This, said 5GAA, illustrated how 5G-V2X Direct communications – based on the 3GPP Release 16 technical standard – can enable vulnerable road users advanced protection by using sensors and camera feeds from other vehicles to alert drivers, paving the way for smarter mobility.
Nokia, Orange, Stellantis, Valeo and Vedecom Institute showcased interoperable V2X Platforms with vehicles, mobile applications and smart intersections (equipped with cameras and connected via the 5G networks) sharing collective perception to enhance road users’ safety. Harman and U-blox showcased emergency electronic brake light (EEBL) near-real-time alerts to prevent hard braking events, in line with the upcoming 2026 Euro NCAP local hazard requirements, and made use of precise positioning to prevent false alerts.
Vehicles in the demonstration were fitted with direct-to-device (D2D) SIMs in the antennas to enable them to leverage D2D connectivity. Viasat unveiled capabilities for connected cars in a recent trial in Brazil this year, and has also proved D2D capabilities in emerging markets such as India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
“The future of satellite-connected cars means real-life benefits,” said Kevin Cohen, vice-president of direct-to-device partnerships at Viasat. “Passengers could make emergency calls from areas outside of cellular coverage. Vehicles could send automated alerts and provide their location after a collision.
“Calls could stay connected, wherever drivers go,” he continued. “Businesses could track fleets in real time. By bringing our L-band satellite coverage and licensed spectrum and working across the automotive ecosystem, connected transport can help everyone operate more safely and efficiently.”
5GAA chairman Christoph Voigt added: “Today, we saw real vehicles on real roads, connected through cutting-edge technologies such as satellite, 5G-V2X Direct and commercial networks. This is the future of automotive connectivity, and it’s closer than you think.”
The 5GAA Visionary 2030 Roadmap expects 5G-V2X to be mass-deployed in commercial vehicle models starting from the 2026-2029 time scale, with the initial market deployment of satellite connectivity in vehicles expected by 2027, based on the IoT NTN 3GPP Release 17 standard.