Vehicles and containers all need to be able to communicate so they can share and receive an increasing array of important data. This extends from comparatively simple use cases such as regular location updates so arrival times can be projected to more complex data such as confirmation that the cold chain for fresh produce has not been interrupted. The next step will be greater automation with degrees of autonomous vehicles already being deployed.
All of this relies on secure, low-latency, uninterrupted access to connectivity as objects move through the world. In many situations, cellular networks in the form of 4G and 5G are widely deployed to address the needs of vehicles and goods in transit as they move down highways or along rail routes to ports, distribution hubs and their ultimate destinations. However, cellular coverage remains incomplete with large blackspots on-land and only small, coastal parts of the oceans covered by the technology.
Cellular networks are ideal for the mobility of vehicles and devices across all forms of transport but they’re also notoriously prone to congestion and occasional failure or service interruptions. These can prevent or delay important communication in relation to transport and automotive use cases. In these scenarios, systems need to be able to failover to an alternative network and sometimes a fallback cellular network will also have been compromised.
Read more: iot-now.com
