The services to be tested are based on a wide range of technologies beyond 5G, including onboard sensors and artificial intelligence (AI), which will provide advanced connectivity services in a scalable and reproducible manner across transport routes.

The infrastructure will support four use cases: remote automated driving, advanced traffic management, continuity of commercial rail services during cross-border transitions, and finally, augmented reality infotainment for autonomous cars and trains.

The use cases will first be tested in three small-scale test facilities that will help replicate real-world conditions. Final integration and validation will take place on the cross-border section between Figueres and Perpignan. This section is strategic in the trans-European transport network, as it carries 55% of road traffic between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe, as well as 65% of rail traffic.

Upgrading the Trans-European Transport Network routes with 5G capabilities is one of the key points of the 5G Strategic Deployment Agenda for Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM), driven by the ambitious connectivity plans specified in the 5G Action Plan for Europe and to receive new investments beyond 2020 as part of the Connected Europe Facility program.

5GMed brings together leading institutions and companies to provide these advanced services on the Figueres-Perpignan section of the Mediterranean Corridor. The consortium, coordinated by Cellnex Telecom, includes 21 partners from 7 countries representing the telecommunications sector (Vodafone, Hispasat, Retevisión, and Cellnex France); the transport and mobility sector (Abertis Autopistas, SNCF, Línea Figueres Perpignan SA, Anadolu Isuzu, and Valeo); solution providers (Axbryd, Nearby Computing, Atos, Athens Technology Center, COMSA Corporación, and Terra3D); consulting service providers (Eight Bells); research institutions (CTTC, i2CAT, IRT-Saint Exupéry, and Vedecom); and outreach and ecosystem development (Mobile World Capital Barcelona).

The project also has the support of the public administrations of both countries, including the Occitanie Region and the Government of the Generalitat, which have promoted the 5G corridor from the outset.