Harman and Samsung are working on 5G antennas for cars

5 G cellular networks are a basic requirement for networked cars of the future that communicate with each other and with traffic control systems. The successor to the current LTE standard offers a 100 times higher data transfer rate (10,000 instead of 100 Mbit /s). In addition, more users (end devices) can be addressed per radio cell. A lower latency means quick response times; this is especially necessary for vehicle-2-x communication.

End of the shark fin on the car roof?

The antennas currently installed in cars are sufficient for reception and transmission of data is no longer sufficient. Just as the development from the rod antenna to the window clamp rod from the accessories (for the mobile phone) to the 'shark fin' installed on the car roof by car manufacturers today, the development will also continue with the antennas.

The technology companies Harman and Samsung have started developing 5G receiver units for cars with other partners. Harman assumes that up to 18 antennas will be built into cars with a connection to the 5G cellular network.

Vishnu Sundaram, Vice President Telematics at Harman Connected Car, reveals: “The Harman team has developed a solution together with Samsung and several car manufacturers that is compact and aesthetically pleasing. ”The component not yet shown should be able to process WLAN, Bluetooth and radio reception, as well as Vehicle-2-x, electronic toll collection and data synchronization for keyless access systems.

'We expect the antennas for series vehicles to be available in 2021,' adds the Harman manager. According to the information, up to 220 million connected cars will then be on the road worldwide.