Progress through the US Department of Transportation's 5.9 GHz DSRC/WAVE (Dedicated Short-Range Commumcations/Wireless Access in a Vehicular Environment) programme for vehicle-roadside communications is described. USDOT envisages that onboard units will be fitted to the entire US vehicle fleet and interact with a corresponding infrastructure of Roadside Units (RSUs). The safety benefits of the system are outlined. In addition, data transmitted by vehicles could be used by transport agencies to manage their networks. The disagreement on scheduling between USDOT and the DSRC equipment industry are discussed. Payment and responsibility for the infrastructural components of DSRC/WAVE have yet to be decided. The differences between the 5.9 GHz DSRC/WAVE system and the 915MHz DSRC system presently used for road tolling in the USA are described.
Abstract