Audi and Deutsche Telekom are entering into a 5G technology partnership together with the city of Ingolstadt. The goal is to use the new 5G technology to make urban mobility safer, more digital and more sustainable.

The memorandum of understanding is the basis for the development of a digital transport infrastructure that in the long-term will offer people greater road safety, better traffic flows and real-time digital services. The city council of Ingolstadt had already approved the cooperation and an application to set up a 5G model region in July.

The future 5G cellular network standard will allow significantly higher bandwidths and virtually real-time network responses. 5G is thus an essential technological basis for communication between different road users, automated driving and connections to the Internet of Things (IoT).

One possible 5G application is connected traffic signals at road junctions that exchange anonymized movement data with cars and other road users via the 5G network. This will enable drivers or cars themselves to react more quickly to unforeseen movements. Mobile 5G devices of pedestrians and cyclists can also be integrated into real-time communication between infrastructure and cars, so that all road users can be connected as comprehensively as possible.

Furthermore, new technologies such as 5G can reduce the time spent searching for parking spaces, which is a significant proportion of increased traffic volumes in cities. Free parking spaces will be communicated to drivers as real-time information so that they can navigate directly to them.

The city of Ingolstadt will comprehensively support the installation and development of the cellular infrastructure of Deutsche Telekom, thus supporting application-oriented developments in the mobility sector, for example. As well as Audi, other industrial companies will be able to use the local 5G infrastructure.

In order to actively inform and involve the local population, a public event is planned at which the three partners will provide information on the technology, measures to be taken and specific fields of application of the 5G initiative.

Audi Electronics Venture GmbH (AEV) has been developing new technologies for the automobiles of the Audi brand since October 2001. The 100% subsidiary of Audi AG works on new functions and new software, scouts the globe for innovative technologies, invests in startups and cooperates with companies from other industries.