Automotive and Telecom Leading Enterprise Alliance Launches 3GPP Release 14 Cellular-V2X Technology Field Test in Germany

Las Vegas, January 4, 2017 - During the 2017 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES® 2017), Audi (NASDAQ: AUDVF), Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) Subsidiaries Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., SWARCO Traffic Systems and the University of Kaiserslautern jointly announced the establishment of the ConVeX Alliance, the first industry-based 3GPP Release. 14 Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) tests, including car-to-air (V2X) communications. The trial is expected to focus on vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-person (V2P) direct communication and vehicle-to-network (V2N) wide-area communications. The ConVeX Alliance project will be implemented by a cross-industry organization alliance and is expected to bring diverse professional experience to the trial. The ConVeX Alliance will be jointly funded by the participating parties and the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) and will be in compliance with the "Automated and Connected Driving on Digital Test Fields in Germany" funding guide.

The trial aims to demonstrate the benefits that the unified C-V2X connectivity platform defined by 3GPP Release 14 will bring to future networked vehicles, and will demonstrate C-V2X's range, reliability and latency in supporting real-time V2X communications. Advantage. In addition, the trials are designed to highlight several new use cases to support optimal traffic flow, improve safety and pave the way for autonomous driving. The ConVeX Alliance plans to provide pilot results to regulators, provide important input for ongoing global standardization efforts, and open the way for further development and future evolution of V2X cellular technologies, including the evolutionary transition to 5G NR. 5G NR is a new 5G global standard being developed by 3GPP.

During the trial, ConVeX is expected to establish an out-of-field test environment and conduct field tests to confirm the strength of the C-V2X. The test will use V2V/V2I/V2P direct communication and LTE-based 4G/5G V2N technology to evaluate wireless communication, performance and user experience under real traffic conditions, and will use the European Telecommunications Standards Institute Intelligent Transportation Systems Committee (ETSI). -ITS) The upper protocol stack developed by the automotive industry. The C-V2X direct communication system operating on the 5.9 GHz ITS spectrum is expected to be later integrated into a 5G test network from Ericsson, which will cover German highways, ordinary roads and cities.

V2X technology has always played a key role in driving the vision of autonomous vehicles. While the development of radar, lidar and camera systems has already supported an important step in the commercialization of autonomous driving, these sensors are also limited to line of sight (LOS) data acquisition. The Fusion V2X sensor is expected to complement and enhance these features, providing 360-degree non-line-of-sight (NLOS) sensing, further expanding the "audio-visual" range of cars on the road, even covering intersections and working in inclement weather conditions. Combined with the high-precision Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), V2X technology is expected to support information sharing between vehicles and vehicles, infrastructure and pedestrian smartphones.

Alfons Pfaller, director of infotainment and technology development at Audi AG, said: "Digitalization will redefine car attributes. Connectivity and autonomous driving are two major trends affecting the future of the car, but the change will be deeper. Data, cloud technology and new business The model will be an important driving force for innovation, and it will build an ecosystem around our core products. Therefore, the key to success is cross-industry collaboration. We are therefore pleased to work with the ConVeX Alliance to provide new products to our customers. solution."

Ulf Ewaldsson, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Ericsson, said: "Networked vehicles need global connectivity solutions and solutions that are scalable, flexible, secure and future-proof. By establishing the ConVeX Alliance and Partners will jointly conduct cellular V2X trials in Germany, and we will further establish a networked automotive ecosystem. It will be easier to release the full potential of the networked vehicles. Ericsson will support cooperative car manufacturers and fleet operators to help them. Provide value-added services while providing a robust global automotive connection."

Nakul Duggal, VP of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., said: "Qualcomm Technologies has been focused on commercializing the best technologies and products with a long-term product roadmap while ensuring its mass availability. Our vision for the car is designed to last Improve driving safety and autonomous driving experience, including sensors that support V2X is an integral part. As automotive use cases drive further business-critical needs such as ultra-low latency and high reliability, we are focusing on development Related technologies to support the vision of improving safe driving and autonomous driving in cars."

Michael Schuch, chief operating officer of SWARCO Intelligent Transportation Systems, said: "Networked collaborative infrastructure is a key element in SWARCO's smart mobile portfolio. So we actively promote collaboration with the automotive industry, telecom providers and infrastructure operators to Ensuring technology-compatible and seamless V2X communication. The establishment of ConVeX is another key milestone in promoting a common 'language' system for road infrastructure and automotive use."

Professor Schotten, Director of the Wireless Communications and Navigation Committee of the University of Kaiserslautern, said: “Networked collaborative travel has great potential to improve traffic efficiency, improve traffic safety and reduce emissions. ConVeX will be an important step towards achieving this vision, and we are very happy to be able to Participate and contribute."

Audi has the Audi, Ducati and Lamborghini brands and is one of the most successful manufacturers in the top market for automobiles and motorcycles. The company operates in more than 100 markets worldwide and has 16 production sites in 12 countries. Audi's wholly-owned subsidiaries include Audi Sport GmbH (located in Neckarsulm), Lamborghini Motors Ltd. (located in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy) and Ducati Motors Holdings Limited (Bologna, Italy). In 2015, Audi delivered nearly 1.8 million Audi brand cars, 3,245 Lamborghini sports cars and approximately 54,800 Ducati brand motorcycles. In FY2015, Audi achieved a total revenue of 58.4 billion euros and an operating profit of 4.8 billion euros. Currently, the company has approximately 85,000 employees worldwide, of which approximately 60,000 are in Germany. Audi focuses on new products and sustainable technologies for the future.

Ericsson is the driving force of the online society. As the world's leading provider of communications technology and services, Ericsson works with global operators to motivate people, businesses and society to shape the future of sustainable development. Ericsson's services, software and infrastructure drive the growth of mobility, broadband and cloud, helping telecom operators and other industry customers grow their businesses, improve efficiency, improve user experience and seize new opportunities. With operations in 180 countries and more than 115,000 employees, Ericsson's global scale, technology and service leadership builds the company's strong competitiveness. The network supported by Ericsson connects 2.5 billion users, and more than 40% of the world's mobile traffic is via Ericsson's network. Ericsson's huge investment in research and development has ensured that its solutions and customer partners stand in the forefront of the industry. Ericsson was founded in 1876 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2015, net sales were SEK 246.9 billion (US$ 29.4 billion). Ericsson is listed on the NASDAQ OMX exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ exchange in New York.

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Qualcomm's technology drives the revolution in smartphones, connecting billions of people. We have made pioneering contributions in 3G and 4G, and are now leading the 5G road to a new era of intelligent networking terminals. Our products are transforming the automotive, computing, Internet of Things, healthcare and other industries and supporting millions of terminals connected to each other in unimagined ways. Qualcomm Incorporated includes the Technology Licensing Service (QTL) and most of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm, which operates all of its engineering, research and development activities and all product and service businesses with its subsidiaries, including our semiconductor business QCT, and mobile, automotive, computing, Internet of Things and health care business. For more information, please visit Qualcomm's website, blog and Weibo.

SWARCO is an international transportation technology company of Austrian entrepreneur Manfred Swarovski, providing complete products, systems, services and solutions for road safety and intelligent traffic management. Collaborative systems for smart cities, V2I communications, electric mobility and integrated software solutions are the latest in the future for the Group. SWARCO TRAFFIC SYSTEMS GmbH is the largest company in SWARCO and a system integrator for urban and intercity traffic control, parking and detection equipment. It offers a wide range of services and has a wide range of professional accumulation in V2X communication.

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Located in southwestern Germany, Kaiserslautern University is one of Germany's leading research universities and is known for its strength in science and engineering. Kaiserslautern University is an important hub for IT and science in Europe, with two Fraunhofer Institutes (IESE and ITWM), Max Planck Software Systems Institute and research on advanced software systems for the connected society. German Artificial Intelligence Research Center (DFKI). Professor Schotten is the Director of the Communication and Navigation Committee of the University of Kaiserslautern and the Scientific Director of the German Artificial Intelligence Research Center (DFKI).