Tecnopass has been designed as a new electronic toll collection and electronic road pricing (ETC/ERP) system for ETC and easy access control for urban centres or residential areas. It can apply all the benefits of non-stop tolling for the Italian market, and is compatible with emerging standards. It enables vehicle fleet owners to have real-time control of vehicle availability. In toll road applications, it can remove queues and allow free traffic flow. The Tecnopass system has a gate, fitted with a fixed antenna, which can communicate with an onboard unit installed in a vehicle. Its processor conducts all checks, updates coded data in the onboard unit, and clears the automatic vehicle identification (AVI) procedure for ETC in the gate. High-performance automatic vehicle classification systems and video enforcement are also available. The roadside equipment includes a transceiver, designed for applications using a standardised dedicated short-range communication link (DSRC), operating at 5.8GHz. This ensures potential future interoperability, and maximises protection against unwanted, uncontrolled interference. The onboard unit is designed for use in DSRC applications. Tecnopass became operational in July 1998, processing all vehicles with Telepass onboard units on the Quincinetto-Aosta motorway in Italy.
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