DSRC explained

Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) technology was developed in the late 1990s in the USA. The initial concept for DSRC being traced back to research and development efforts aimed at improving vehicle communication and road safety. Operating on the 5.9 GHz band (as is now customary for ITS communications) with a relatively low latency of 50 milliseconds, and range of 1,000 metres, the intent behind DSRC was to create a technology that would help improve vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications and safety, in the realm of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).

How widely is it used?

The adoption of DSRC technology varies by region. In the United States, development and deployment began in 1999. However, market penetration has been slower than expected due to competition from other technologies such as Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X). Europe has seen significant adoption, driven by the European Union's push for safer and smarter transport systems, and it is used heavily for Electronic Toll Collection in many European countries. In Asia, particularly Japan and South Korea, DSRC technology has also been implemented for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) applications.

What are the strengths of DSRC?

One of the primary strengths of DSRC is its reliability and proven effectiveness in real-time communication. DSRC technology has been researched and developed over several decades, so the technology is relatively mature and interoperable. The technology's dedicated spectrum ensures minimal interference, which is critical for safety applications, and its low latency and high-speed data transmission capabilities are well-suited for V2X applications (i.e. fast provision of information exchange).

What about drawbacks?

An elephant in the room for DSRC is the relatively high cost of implementation. Whilst not totally prohibitive, the need for dedicated Roadside Units (RSUs) to transmit and receive DSRC data means that the capital and operational expenditure required for such infrastructure must be considered in any major deployment. This why - in part - European use of DSRC technology is seen in long-term road infrastructure projects, where the investment costs can be reclaimed over many years. Integrating DSRC into vehicles and more broadly across infrastructure would require substantial investment, and this has - in part - slowed widespread adoption.

This leads into one of the most significant threats to DSRC. Competition from C-V2X. This technology utilises existing cellular network infrastructure, offers broad coverage, and cost savings due to the non-requirement of dedicated infrastructure. The threat to DSRC technology has been further compounded by the FCC, which in 2020 reallocated part of the 5.9GHz to uses other than ITS, and also opened the remaining "DSRC bandwidth" to C-V2X as well.

Overall, what does the future look like for DSRC?

DSRC is a vital technology for ITS. With its low latency and high reliability, it is well-suited for V2X communication, but high implementation costs, competition from alternative technologies, and regulatory uncertainties mean that this might end up being a transitional technology in the long-term. But despite these challenges, it will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of ITS.