15.01.2025
5G Autobahn to Autoroute:First cross-border 5G highway corridor between France and Germany to enable innovative driving functions
- Vantage Towers, TOTEM, O2 Telefónica, Orange, htw saar deploy high-frequency 5G corridor on a highway from Metz to Saarbrücken
- Seamless cross-border 5G high-speed network enables innovative cooperative, connected and automated driving functions
- 5G A2A project is funded by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility
The 5G highway corridor offers optimal connectivity for vehicles and logistics providers
A German-French consortium establishes a 5G highway corridor to achieve gigabit-speed connectivity on the road. Tower companies (TowerCos) Vantage Towers and TOTEM, mobile network operators O2 Telefónica and Orange, as well as the University of Applied Sciences Saarland (htw saar) have entered into a pioneering cooperation.
The aim of the collaboration is to create the first cross-border 5G highway corridor between France and Germany along one of the Europe’s busiest routes. It will link the cities of Metz and Saarbrücken via the 60-kilometer highway segment ready to enable innovative connected and automated mobility services. Construction of the corridor, called “5G Autobahn to Autoroute” (5G A2A), is scheduled to begin in early 2025, with the landmark project to be completed by the end of 2027.
Testing of advanced mobility functions such as cooperative lane changes and predictive cooperative collision avoidance
This 5G A2A corridor will ensure high-speed data coverage, and enable a wide range of cooperative, connected and automated mobility use cases. Connectivity on the highways of tomorrow will not only allow watching a movie in the backseat, but also facilitate connected innovation for enhanced security and experience for drivers and passengers. The high-frequency 5G network deployed through this partnership between Metz and Saarbrücken will provide uninterrupted gigabit-speed and low latency 5G coverage to support the testing of advanced mobility functions such as cooperative lane changing and anticipated cooperative collision avoidance, automatic and autonomous traffic jam alerts, enabling testing of next-generation (partially) automated vehicles and promoting cross-border technological innovation.
5G network expansion on highways
The project includes a section in Germany along the A6 highway and a section in France along the A4 and A320 highways. The planned 5G A2A corridor runs along the Trans-European Transport Network ATLANTIC. On both sides of the border, a tandem of a TowerCo and a mobile network operator is driving the project. In Germany, this is Vantage Towers and O2 Telefónica, while Orange and TOTEM are contributing on the French side. In addition, the project is supported by htw saar with scientific expertise.
5G A2A is funded by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility Digital Program and managed by the Health and Digital Executive Agency. The funding is for the development of high-performance digital infrastructure in Europe, such as 5G network coverage along cross-border corridors. The project is supported by the Région Grand Est in France and by the Saarland Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digital and Energy in Germany.
The infrastructure underscores the long-term commitment of the cooperation partners to sustainable digital connectivity across national borders. In Germany, up to five radio towers will be erected to support the use of a distributed antenna system (DAS). O2 Telefónica uses its 5G spectrum at 3.6 gigahertz to provide seamless coverage of the highway section with high-performance 5G. Consumers will benefit from this, as will industrial tests carried out as part of the collaboration. This setup also supports a neutral host model that allows multiple network operators to use the infrastructure – for broader connectivity and improved efficiency. In France, the partners are relying on a mix of eight new radio masts and the upgrade of up to eight existing masts to ensure dedicated 5G coverage along the corridor in the 3.5 GHz frequency.
Christian Hillabrant
Christian Hillabrant, CEO of Vantage Towers: “With the establishment of the Franco-German 5G A2A corridor, we are further advancing the digital transformation in Europe. Together with our project partners O2 Telefónica, Orange, TOTEM and htw saar, we are creating an infrastructure that enables uninterrupted cross-border coverage and, in the future, the use of advanced mobility applications such as autonomous driving functions – setting new standards for digital connectivity.”
Mallik Rao
Mallik Rao, Chief Technology & Enterprise Officer of O2 Telefónica: “We are building a 5G highway to test how to provide consumers and companies with gigabit speeds in the best possible way while driving. This can be a major step towards making connected driving a reality in Germany. We are looking forward to be partnering with the automotive and logistics industries to implement and test digital networking solutions of the future, based on our high-performance 5G network. The project is a prime example of how digitalization in Europe must not stop at borders.”
Nicolas Roy, CEO of TOTEM: “This project is an incredible proof of cooperation among TowerCos and mobile network operators to provide last generation’s mobile 5G network between Metz and Saarbrücken. This project relies on the top industrial expertise of each actor, dedicated to providing a better connectivity for all along the way. With this project, TOTEM illustrates the ability of its team to deploy bespoke and specific infrastructure solutions in a cross-border environment.”
Thierry Marigny, Director Grand Est Region of Orange: “Orange is proud to be involved in the deployment of the first next-generation 5G corridor between Metz and Saarbrücken. This pioneering project will make this cross-border route the first in Europe to enable the use of connected vehicles and equipment. In future, users of this route will benefit from driver assistance services to enhance their comfort and safety in their connected vehicles.”
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Horst Wieker, Leader ITS Research Group of htw saar: “The project is an integral part of htw saar's ongoing efforts to increase the safety of connected vehicles and to realize automated driving in cross-border traffic. The htw saar is proud to be able to support the transition from research to live operation with its renowned partners, to implement innovative applications, and to evaluate the project scientifically.”
