As OmniAir members gather in Florida for our 11^th OmniAir Plugfest, it is important to reflect on this week’s connected vehicle testing event is both timely and essential to the successful nationwide deployment of cellular-vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies.

Last week, there were two major announcements of great importance to the connected vehicle community.

First, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued long-sought waivers allowing initial deployments of C-V2X technologies by certain automotive OEMs, device manufacturers, and state DOTs.

Second, the U.S. Department of Transportation hosted its V2X Workshop: Continuing the Momentum Toward Nationwide Deployment.  The focus of this event was to solicit stakeholder feedback to develop a plan to meet the goal of nationwide “interoperable connectivity.”

To help advance the important goal of nationwide interoperable connectivity, OmniAir and its member companies and organizations are gathering this week at the world-class SunTrax Test Facility in Auburndale, Florida for the largest, most comprehensive C-V2X testing event in North America.

OmniAir Florida Plugfest, brings together leading technology providers, systems integrators, device manufacturers, test laboratories, and test equipment providers from around the world for an intensive week of testing for cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies.

Testing teams are coming from around the globe to participate in this Plugfest.  Representatives from United States, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Israel, Hungary, Germany, Spain, India, and the United Kingdom, among others.

The event will feature over 20 C-V2X radios, rotating through 140 individual test sessions in both laboratory and field environments.  Devices will undergo rigorous testing for conformance, interoperability, performance, and security in a cooperative and open environment, where government, industry and academic institutions come together to help make C-V2X-based connected interoperability a reality.

Testing will include:

• Bench conformance testing (PHY layer, security, upper layer protocol, 1218 SNMP and application along with BSM, TIM, SPaT & MAP messages)
• OBU Field performance testing (location accuracy, hard braking, heading and path prediction)
• Security testing (1609.2, 1609.2.1, and security certificate loading)
• Field Application, Intersection and Terrain Testing
• Interoperability (in laboratory and field environments)

The goal of OmniAir Plugfests is device readiness, test case validation, and improvement of test equipment and laboratories.  Participation helps to ensure that C-V2X OBUs, RSUs, and modules conform to industry standards, meet minimum interoperability, security, and performance requirements.  

OmniAir Plugfests, together with our independent, third-party testing and certification programs are an essential part of ensuring that C-V2X devices are, in fact, ready to deploy. 

About OmniAir Florida Plugfest:

OmniAir Florida Plugfest will take place May 1-5 at SunTrax Test Facility in Auburndale, Florida. OmniAir is hosting this event in partnership with Florida Department of Transportation, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, and the University of Florida Transportation Institute. 

For more information about OmniAir and certification programs, please visit our website at www.omniair.org.