June 30, 2017
Broadband infrastructure is the foundation of the Internet of Things ecosystem, anchoring the exciting and inspiring innovative technologies flooding the market. Engineers are counting on substantial wireless backhaul and fiber networks to provide the data center connectivity necessary to manage this newest intelligence. Case in point? Self-driving cars. Several automobile companies are designing self-driving cars for the ever-evolving car industry. These same companies also are seeking partnerships with rental car companies to help service the latest in connective cars.
Avis recently partnered with Alphabet’s self-driving subsidiary, Waymo, to help service its fleet of self-driving cars and test its self-ridership program. Apple plans to lease some vehicles from rental car company Hertz to test its own self-driving technology, and Uber offers driverless vehicles in test markets as part of its ride-hailing service.
Several traditional auto, autonomous car and ride-hailing tech companies are members of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets, a group working to pass several bills related to the deployment, operation and safety issues of self-driving vehicles. Congress recently heard the first set of such bills that addressed these legislative and policy challenges that will ultimately affect the future development of the connected-vehicle industry. One thing is for sure – robust investment in broadband infrastructure will be critical to keeping self-driving cars on the roads.