DSRC versus 4G-LTE for Connected Vehicle Applications: A Study on Field Experiments of Vehicular Communication Performance

• Published in: Journal of advanced transportation Vol. 2017; no. 2017; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Zhang, H. Michael, Zhao, Xiangmo, Li, Xiaochi, Xu, Zhigang, Wang, Zhongren
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01.01.2017; Hindawi; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: 4G mobile communication; Applications programs; Cellular communication; Collision avoidance; Comparative analysis; Computer network protocols; Computer programs; Computer simulation; Downloading; Experiments; Feasibility studies; Field tests; Global positioning systems; GPS; Information processing; Infrastructure; Mobile communication systems; Multimedia; Network topologies; Roadsides; Satellite navigation systems; Short message service; Software; Software development tools; Spectrum allocation; Technology application; Telematics; Test vehicles; Traffic accidents & safety; Traffic information; Traffic safety; Traffic signs; Transportation; Vehicles; Wireless communication systems; Wireless communications; Wireless networks; China; United States > US
• ISSN: 0197-6729; 2042-3195
• DOI: 10.1155/2017/2750452

Dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) and 4G-LTE are two widely used candidate schemes for Connected Vehicle (CV) applications. It is thus of great necessity to compare these two most viable communication standards and clarify which one can meet the requirements of most V2X scenarios with respect to road safety, traffic efficiency, and infotainment. To the best of our knowledge, almost all the existing studies on comparing the feasibility of DRSC or LTE in V2X applications use software-based simulations, which may not represent realistic constraints. In this paper, a Connected Vehicle test-bed is established, which integrates the DSRC roadside units, 4G-LTE cellular communication stations, and vehicular on-board terminals. Three Connected Vehicle application scenarios are set as Collision Avoidance, Traffic Text Message Broadcast, and Multimedia File Download, respectively. A software tool is developed to record GPS positions/velocities of the test vehicles and record certain wireless communication performance indicators. The experiments have been carried out under different conditions. According to our results, 4G-LTE is more preferred for the nonsafety applications, such as traffic information transmission, file download, or Internet accessing, which does not necessarily require the high-speed real-time communication, while for the safety applications, such as Collision Avoidance or electronic traffic sign, DSRC outperforms the 4G-LTE.