Author: Ryan Hall

OmniAir Consortium®, the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for ITS, tolling, and connected vehicles, announces the election of three new Directors:

The new Directors, elected at the OmniAir® Annual Board Meeting on December 2nd, will serve three-year terms.

“OmniAir’s newly elected Directors bring deep experience and valuable industry insights,” said Steve Novosad, Chair of OmniAir’s Board of Directors and Associate Fellow, Associate Vice President ITS, HNTB Corporation. “As OmniAir Directors, they will help to guide the organization’s strategy, and to advance its mission of ensuring the availability of trusted communications technologies for transportation.”

With over 85 members worldwide, OmniAir’s membership includes device manufacturers, engineering firms, test labs, test equipment providers, automotive OEMs, Tier One suppliers, and deploying agencies. OmniAir offers independent, third-party testing and certification programs for RFID tolling and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connected vehicle technologies.

“We are excited to welcome these recognized transportation and technology leaders to OmniAir Consortium’s Board of Directors,” said Jason Conley, Executive Director of OmniAir. “These new Directors will help OmniAir to advance our independent, third-party testing and certification programs for vehicle connectivity and transportation payment systems.”

The following Directors were re-elected to OmniAir’s Board of Directors and will serve three-year terms:

About OmniAir Consortium

OmniAir Consortium is the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for ITS, tolling, and connected vehicles. OmniAir’s membership includes public agencies, private companies, research institutions, and independent test laboratories. Learn more about OmniAir at www.omniair.org.

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Last week, the FCC voted to reallocate spectrum in the 5.9 GHz band (5.850-5.925 GHz), designating the lower 45 MHz for unlicensed operations and authorizing the use of Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) in the upper 30 MHz portion of the band. The decision was, as a practical matter, unanimous and bipartisan, with Chairman Pai, Commissioners O’Reilly and Carr approving, and Commissioners Rosenworcel and Starks concurring. The final Report & Order was published on Friday.

The decision to give away over half of the spectrum for unlicensed Wi-Fi devices found opposition by numerous transportation and automotive organizations.  OmniAir Consortium® has long supported preserving the full 75 MHz of spectrum for use by Intelligent Transportation Systems.  At the same time, OmniAir® fully supports the decision to authorize, for the first time, the use of C-V2X technologies in the upper 30 MHz of the spectrum.

For those who have worked to advance the development and deployment of Dedicated Short range Radio Communication (DSRC), last week’s vote was a difficult one. However, for far too long, the ITS industry has dealt with regulatory uncertainty regarding the 5.9 GHz spectrum.  This uncertainty has hampered industry and government’s ability to make long-term investment decisions in lifesaving connected vehicle technologies.

Last week’s decision by the FCC opens a path for C-V2X deployment in the United States—and new opportunities for those engaged in the work of standards, testing, pilot projects, and early deployments.  There will be challenges—no doubt.  However, OmniAir is ready and uniquely positioned to guide deploying agencies and automotive OEMs as they pivot to a new communications media.

OmniAir Well Prepared for Transition to C-V2X

In 2017, OmniAir launched the world’s first independent third-party testing and certification DSRC-V2X radios, including On-Board Units (OBUs) and Roadside Units (RSUs).  We will continue to offer certification and readiness testing for DSRC devices in the U.S. during the transition period and in other markets.

OmniAir is well-prepared for the transition to C-V2X.  Since our first demonstration of C-V2X testing two years ago at the OmniAir Texas Plugfest, we have seen a steady increase in C-V2X devices and test equipment participating in OmniAir Plugfests. During last month’s Global Plugfest, 17 of 20 devices tested were C-V2X radios—destined for the U.S. marketplace.  Each of the nine participating test equipment providers and all six participating test laboratories offered C-V2X testing capabilities.

OmniAir will continue its mission to ensure that deploying agencies and automakers worldwide can rely on OmniAir Certified devices for trusted communications, regardless of the underlying radio technology.

In December, OmniAir will launch the world’s first comprehensive certification program for C-V2X (LTE-V2X PC5) radios.

Over the past year, OmniAir and its members have developed hundreds of new test cases for C-V2X testing and have validated these through our testing at our recent OmniAir Global Plugfest. We have received several applications for the OmniAir Qualified Test Equipment (OQTE) and OmniAir Authorized Test Laboratory (OATL) programs for C-V2X testing within days of opening registration.

Next year, we plan to help a broad cross-section of stakeholders navigate this change through webinars and workshops, Plugfests, and ongoing Working Group activities.

Join us on December 2 for our OmniAir Annual Meeting to learn more about our C-V2X testing and certification plans in 2021 and beyond.

About OmniAir Consortium

OmniAir Consortium is the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for ITS, tolling, and Connected Vehicles. OmniAir’s membership includes public agencies, private companies, research institutions, and independent test laboratories. Learn more about OmniAir at www.omniair.org.

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OmniAir Consortium’s ® Working Groups have approved a set of new policies and specifications that will lay the groundwork for launching our new certification program later this year.

Over 300 new test cases for Cellular-Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X), validated through device testing at last month’s OmniAir Global Plugfest, have been approved by OmniAir’s Technical Working Group.

In addition, OmniAir’s Certification Working Group approved two new policies that will be critical to the future of OmniAir’s Certification Testing, including the OmniAir Connected Vehicle Conformity Assessment Program Version 2.0, and the OmniAir Authorized Field Site Test Program Manual.

The OmniAir Board of Directors will consider adopting the new program at their next meeting in December.  OmniAir Members may review the draft test cases and policy documents by logging into the ‘Members Only’ section of the OmniAir website.

OmniAir plans to launch its C-V2X Certification Program in December 2020, which will allow for test equipment qualification and laboratory authorization to begin immediately.  In early 2021, OmniAir will issue Release 1 based on the new standard and regulatory releases.

OmniAir’s C-V2X certification program closely mirrors our highly successful V2X certification program for Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) that launched in October 2017.

“OmniAir was the first to launch a certification program for DSRC-based V2X technologies 2017, and we will be the first again, this time with the first comprehensive certification program for C-V2X radios,” said Jason Conley, Executive Director for OmniAir Consortium. “OmniAir Certification ensures that infrastructure owner-operators and automotive OEMs are able to rely on trusted communications devices, regardless of the underlying radio technology.”

OmniAir Certified® devices conform to industry standards and meet minimum interoperability and security requirements.

If you are interested in OmniAir’s certification program or would like to learn more, contact Ryan Hall, Senior Director of Business Development, for more information.

About OmniAir Consortium

OmniAir Consortium is the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for ITS, tolling, and Connected Vehicles. OmniAir’s membership includes public agencies, private companies, research institutions, and independent test laboratories. Learn more about OmniAir at www.omniair.org.

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OmniAir Consortium® the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for ITS, tolling, and Connected Vehicles, has concluded testing for our first OmniAir Global Plugfest.

Due to the ongoing global pandemic, OmniAir® facilitated remote participation by device makers and test tool providers together with on-site testing at participating test laboratories in Europe, Asia, and North America.  This “hybrid” testing model was the first-of-its-kind for the Connected Vehicle industry—allowing participating vendors an opportunity to actively participate in testing while observing social distancing and travel restrictions. All indications are that this approach was highly successful despite logistical hurdles, such as significant differences in time zones.

OmniAir completed bench conformance, interoperability, security, and field testing for over 20 cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) and DSRC radio devices.  This Plugfest featured testing against OmniAir’s new conformance test specifications for C-V2X (PC5), as well as field testing in a live traffic environment, utilizing Austin’s connected vehicle testbed.

“I am very pleased that we were able to provide OmniAir Global Plugfest participants a meaningful testing experience despite the ongoing COVID pandemic,” said Jason Conley, Executive Director for OmniAir Consortium.  “OmniAir is committed to advancing the development and deployment of life-saving connected vehicle technologies through testing and certification.”

Host test facilities included Bureau Veritas in Detroit, Michigan, and Seoul, Korea, along with DEKRA in Málaga, Spain, the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) in Seoul, Korea, SGS in San Diego, and the City of Austin in Austin, Texas.

Participating test equipment providers included, Anritsu, Keysight, Nordsys, Rohde & Schwartz, S.E.A. GmBH, Southwest Research Institute, Spirent, and Vector.  In addition, Plugfest security certificates were provided by Autocrypt, Blackberry, ESCRYPT, Integrity Security Services, and Microsec.

A significant focus of this Plugfest was to test, evaluate, and harden OmniAir’s newly developed test cases for Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology. OmniAir is planning for an initial release of its conformance test specifications in December, with an eye to begin offering certification for C-V2X (PC5) devices shortly thereafter. OmniAir is now accepting applications for test equipment qualification and for laboratory authorization for testing of C-V2X radios.

If you would like to learn more about OmniAir, our testing events, or our certification programs, please contact Ryan Hall, Senior Director of Business Development.

About OmniAir Consortium

OmniAir Consortium is the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for ITS, tolling, and Connected Vehicles. OmniAir’s membership includes public agencies, private companies, research institutions, and independent test laboratories. Learn more about OmniAir at www.omniair.org.

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ITS Korea’s 2020 C-ITS K-Plugtest kicks off next week in Suwon, South Korea.  The week-long, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) testing event will assess device readiness and will bring together leading device manufacturers, test labs, and test equipment providers.

OmniAir Consortium® is a co-organizer of the K-Plugtest, which is scheduled to take place Monday, November 2 through Friday, November 6.  The event will feature testing for both C-V2X PC5 and DSRC radios against OmniAir® test specifications, SCMS Security Certificate testing, field location accuracy, and interoperability testing.  Bench testing will occur at the Suwon Convention Center, with field testing at the Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute.

The event kicks off with an International Seminar on Monday, November 2, at 9:00 AM KST.  OmniAir’s Executive Director, Jason Conley, will present on the Global Trend for Testing and Certification. Followed by David Sequino, Co-founder and CEO of Integrity Security Services and OmniAir Executive member, who will provide a unique perspective on the SCMS build-up across North America.

Under the auspices of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) and the Cooperative Automated Driving Industry Development Council (CADIC), ITS Korea has provided specialized venues for testing connected vehicle technology.

C-ITS-related industry testing occurs twice a year, supporting technology development through business participation, which prepares V2X devices for certification and market entry. This event will support interoperability testing and provide consulting to device makers to support the commercialization of Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) technologies.

Next week’s K-Plugtest will introduce new certification tests, including OmniAir’s draft test specifications for C-V2X as well as a forum to discuss technology status for each region during international workshops.

OmniAir® and ITS Korea have been working in partnership over the past two years to promote alignment of testing and certification programs for connected vehicle technologies in Korea and the United States.

Event details are available on OmniAir’s website.

Registration is open to overseas device manufacturers that want to participate in the K-Plugtest via remote testing.  The International Seminar will be open to all and broadcast live on YouTube.

About OmniAir Consortium:
OmniAir Consortium is the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification in ITS, tolling, and connected vehicles. OmniAir’s membership includes public agencies, private companies, research institutions, and independent test laboratories. Learn more about OmniAir at www.omniair.org.

About ITS Korea:
ITS Korea’s mission is to promote mutual cooperation among the public and private sectors for efficient implementation of ITS and to contribute to the development of ITS field through various research, policy consultation, technology promotion, and business activities related to ITS. Learn more about ITS Korea at https://itskorea.kr/english/main.do

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