## 4 5G and V2X Deployment Projects
### Live Trial of 5G-Connected Car Concept Launches in Blacksburg, Virginia (VA)  
On 24 March 2022, the Commonwealth of Virginia hosted a live trial of a ground-breaking driver and pedestrian safety concept utilizing 5G and edge technologies. This trial, organized by the 5G Automotive Association (5 GAA) in collaboration with eight member companies representing leading technology firms worldwide, aimed to enable near-real-time notification of roadway hazards. It was one of three international trials conducted as part of a historic public-private collaboration, with a related trial taking place in Turin, Italy. However, the North American live trial held in Blacksburg, VA, on the Virginia Smart Road operated by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, marked a significant milestone as the first of its kind in North America. The primary objective of the trial was to demonstrate how connected mobility and the use of 5G and edge computing technologies could enhance safety on roads. By leveraging the high-speed transmission capabilities of 5G networks and the computing power of edge serves, smart city technologies, like near real-time traffic management and various business applications, could be enabled. The connected car concept utilized this advanced technology to establish communication between car sensors, pedestrian smartphones, and a user-authorized mobile app. Through this communication, crucial information regarding traffic hazards, such as accidents and road construction, could be shared, ensuring both pedestrian and driver safety while facilitating efficient navigation. One of the key technical challenges addressed by this international trial was the seamless communication between different communication service providers (CoSPs) managing the 5G networks. Each CoSP operates according to geographical regions, and their edge solutions must be capable of uninterrupted communication for V2X (vehicle-to-everything) applications as drivers cross borders. The successful demonstration of roaming services, which allow uninterrupted communication regardless of the network, served as an early achievement for multi-mobile network operators (MNOs). The core objective of the live trial was to showcase that the connected car concept could work seamlessly in a roaming scenario, representing the first attempt of its kind in the United States. The trial aimed to serve as a stepping stone towards realizing the potential for automakers to provide services to their connected cars through the network. The Virginia live trial focused on three main objectives. The first objective was to address the multi-mobile network operator scenario, examining how a vehicle connected to one MNO could use an MEC application operated by another MNO without losing the benefits of low latency. The second objective aimed at ensuring global operational availability, exploring how an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) developing a MEC application could ensure its consistent functionality and performance across different MNOs on a global scale. Lastly, the trial aimed to demonstrate a multi-MNO scenario with roaming, enabling a seamless transfer of the V2X service from one operator to another as the car OEM moves across geographic locations in a roaming scenario. Apart from the technical aspects, the trial emphasized the value of collaboration within a large ecosystem to develop the technology and build a compelling business case. This collaboration was crucial in driving potential market adoption of 5G and C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything) technologies, contributing to the digital transformation of smart cities in the future. The involvement of both the public and private sectors was necessary to adopt this new technology and provide a better quality of life for all citizens [99]. Table 5 summarizes the introduced projects, while Figure 5 shows which project focuses on which 3 GPP V2X use case scenarios along with the end date of the projects.