Jaguar Land Rover to use West Midlands 5G internet for 'real world' driverless car tests

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will use high-speed mobile internet to run ‘real world’ driverless car tests after the launch of the UK’s first large-scale 5G trial.

The “multi-city 5G test bed”, which could cost up to £50m, will see the ultra-fast internet tested in areas including Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton.

The next generation of mobile data is expected to be at least 10 times faster than 4G, but could offer download speeds closer to 1,000 times faster. As well as transforming the capabilities of mobile data transfer, high-speed connections could revolutionise a range of technologies. 

“5G has the potential to dramatically transform the way we go about our daily lives, and we want the citizens of the UK to be amongst the first to experience all the opportunities and benefits this new technology will bring,“ said minister for digital Margot James.

The West Midlands Combined Authorities (WMCA), which is leading the 5G trial, will partner with JLR. The manufacturer is testing driverless cars – with operators behind the wheel in case of emergencies – on some of the area’s roads, checking technologies including inter-vehicle communication and emergency braking alerts.

Proposals for the 5G test bed also include live streaming of patient data and video conferencing from ambulances, and live streaming of CCTV footage from buses.

“We have been working to put the foundations in place to grow the industries which will create the jobs of the future, particularly around driverless vehicles and life sciences where we have a genuine advantage,” said Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands. “To deliver the future of these industries we need the power of 5G.”