There are many types of network technologies that could come into play when designing a self-driving vehicle, especially as companies decide how best to use the electromagnetic spectrum. In addition to smart phone technology and the typical “G” network from the service provider, Sigfox, a French company, covers long distances at very high bandwidths (ultranarrowband technology). However, it works only with very small amounts of data — 123-byte messages at a maximum rate of 140 per a day. Another shortcoming is that Sigfox only can communicate with things moving at 19 mph or slower, but perhaps that is only a short-term problem that will be resolved over time.
The existing “G” networks do have some clear advantages over new forms of communication technology like Sigfox, because they have major network carriers that pick up the bill of running such networks (spectrum licensing, permission to build base station sites, and data hookups to the wired Internet) and high volume is driving equipment costs down.
Another network possibility is ZigBee, a frontrunner in the Internet of things, a futuristic short-hand phrase used to describe an emerging world in which everything from door locks to livestock link to the Internet. Zigbee’s shorter-range technology isn’t much use for moving vehicles, but it could be useful for an electric car that’s parked in the garage and has to communicate with the house or with the power company about the best time to charge its battery.
