Vodafone launches STEP C-V2X platform

  • April 11, 2022
  • William Payne

Vodafone has launched a system to improve road safety. The Safer Transport for Europe Platform (STEP) allows public agencies to deliver safety and traffic information directly to smartphone mapping apps and in-vehicle navigation systems.

With STEP, public authorities can send information about lane closures, speed restrictions and traffic incidents straight to the devices that drivers already use and depend on. Information can be delivered through STEP with as much detail as needed and more quickly than slower, more limited alternatives such as signs on roadsides and motorway gantries.

STEP will be available in Vodafone Automotive apps later this year and is available for use by the developers of third-party apps. It builds on Vodafone’s trials of C-V2X technology in the West Midlands region in England.

In future, STEP could be used to monitor road usage in real-time using anonymised and aggregated vehicle position data, as well as warn drivers of large vehicles about nearby cyclists and pedestrians who might not be immediately visible.

Vinod Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone Business, said: “This scaled platform enables the delivery of vital safety information to all road users, no matter what app or system they rely on. STEP encourages the collaboration needed between transport authorities, app developers and the automotive industry to unlock the full value of data and connectivity in helping make Europe’s roads safer.”