Two of Japan's largest companies are partnering to take self-driving cars to the next level. Sources say Toyota Motor and telecom giant NTT will develop "connected cars" that use NTT's high-speed wireless technology.
NTT is currently developing the fifth-generation mobile network, which is promising data transfer speeds 10 times faster than now. "5G" is expected to improve the self-driving system. It will allow cars to exchange data with other vehicles and sensors along roads in real time. Passengers will be able to watch high-definition videos.
Toyota is already working with another Japanese telecom firm, KDDI, to develop connected cars. Executives at the carmaker hope to speed up development with their latest tie-up with NTT.
◆in real time 瞬時に
◆high-definition 高画質の、高解像度の
