Experimental Comparison of 4G and 5G Technologies for Connected and Automated Vehicles

Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) technology is a key technology that can improve safety, reliability and efficiency in transportation. Autonomous driving uses information from a variety of sources: internal sensors, messages coming from other vehicles, traffic signs and centralized control systems. This information is processed to provide a variety of services. Some of these services require broadband communication with low latency. Complex vehicle dynamics and a constantly changing environment require high-performing communication technology to support CAV communications. Fifth generation (5G) networks are becoming a key technology for supporting CAV communications due to their high throughput and low latency communication. This paper presents an experimental measurement of Quality of Service and Quality of Experience parameters of 4G and 5G networks and their comparison. The measurements were performed on a selected route in the city of Z. ilina, Slovakia. The aim of the research is to reveal the limitations of 5G networks with non-standalone architecture in real conditions, especially in terms of latency.