A self-driving car equipped with a lot of IT
A self-driving car is currently on the road in the city of Zurich for test purposes. Swisscom wants to use it to find out, among other things, what this means for communications networks.
These days the Swisscom together with the company Autonomos Labs with a self-propelled vehicle on the road and gaining initial experience for the mobility of the future. What does this mean for communication networks? How can vehicles, objects and people be optimally networked? Effective traffic management systems lead to less congestion, which relieves the environment and reduces economic costs. Good reasons for Swisscom to get involved in the mobility of the future. Christian Petit, Head of Swisscom Enterprise Customers, says: "Swisscom will not become an automobile manufacturer. But the innovations around the automobile in the future lie in networking with the environment. That's why the self-driving car is a prime example of digitalization and of great interest to us." As a leading ICT provider, the company is predestined to network vehicles, objects and people. Swisscom also wants to initiate a discussion on this matter. Self-driving cars will raise many questions: Are people still allowed to drive a car if it would be safer without the human factor? How will laws be adapted? Who is liable in the event of accidents?
Swisscom already analyzes anonymized position data from cell phones for the Federal Roads Office, for example, and delivers forecasts on traffic trends in Big Data projects. Thanks to the Internet of Things, a self-driving vehicle will in future know before it arrives which parking spaces are free and target them accordingly, according to the report. Swisscom is also currently testing an alternative network for this Internet of Things in Zurich and Geneva, via which everyday objects communicate with minimal energy consumption.
It will still be some time before self-driving cars can be seen driving on all Swiss roads. Step by step, the technology will take over the wheel, they say. With comprehensive networking, safety, comfort and traffic management will be even better, experts say.
After the test, Swisscom plans to publish a comprehensive report, according to a statement made at the media conference in Zurich. The paper will also show where any security gaps still exist in the IT area.
