On the feasibility of UMTS-based Traffic Information Systems

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are a hot topic in the communications society. Currently, research is primarily focusing on setting up Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) based on WLAN technology. However, VANETs are heavily dependent on high market penetration or infrastructure support. Third-generation (3G) networks might complement these efforts. They are already widely deployed and can serve as the basis for Car-to-Infrastructure (C2I) applications. We developed a simulation framework for holistic analysis of complex UMTS-based ITS. This framework couples simulation models with corresponding protocols of the UMTS link level, of higher network layers, and of road traffic. Based on our simulation framework and real-world 3G network coverage data, we evaluated a UMTS-based Traffic Information Systems (TIS) in a typical highway scenario in which information about traffic jams needed to be communicated to other cars for optimized route planning. The evaluation clearly outlines the capabilities of the simulation framework and evaluation results are consistent with all expectations. For example, we show that the availability of UMTS multicast distribution services are demanded for an efficient operation of the TIS application.