▲ Japanese automotive brand Honda
The Japanese government is set to build communication infrastructure to meet its goal of having 10,000 driverless autonomous vehicles in operation by fiscal year 2030, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported.
Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is scheduled to announce a plan today, July 14, to expand the communication foundation required for driverless autonomous driving nationwide.
The ministry plans to include funding in the fiscal year 2027 budget for verifying the communication networks needed for "Level 4" autonomous driving, which is one of the six levels (Level 0 to 5) of autonomy where the vehicle operates without human intervention under specific conditions.
Under Japan's Road Traffic Act, remote monitoring of vehicles and traffic conditions is mandatory for Level 4 autonomous driving.
Therefore, stable communication infrastructure is considered essential for the widespread adoption of this level of autonomous driving.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications intends to establish guidelines by fiscal year 2027, defining requirements such as transmission speeds and latency to encourage development by relevant companies.
The government also plans to standardize the communication protocols and data formats of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), which currently vary by manufacturer, and promote cooperation between automakers and telecommunications companies.
In 2023, the Japanese government set a goal to implement driverless autonomous driving services in over 100 locations by fiscal year 2027 and to increase the number of autonomous buses, taxis, and trucks to 10,000 by fiscal year 2030.
The administration, with Sanae Takaichi leading the initiative, has previously selected autonomous driving technology as one of its 17 key growth strategies.
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