FCC Chair Says Quectel, Fibocom Wireless IoT Modules Pose National Security Risk
Companies may be added to "Covered List" that bans certain components...
Chinese companies Quectel and Fibocom Wireless’ IoT modules pose grave national security risks, said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel this week in letters seen by Reuters. Last month, Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of a U.S. House of Representatives China Select Committee, and the top Democrat, Raja Krishnamoorthi, wrote a letter to the FCC to consider adding both companies to a “Covered List.”
In March 2021, the list designated five Chinese companies—Huawai Technologies, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology and Zhejiang Dahua Technology—as posing security national risks.
As part of the letter to the FCC, the House committee said that cellular connectivity modules are components that enable IoT devices in cars, medical equipment, tractors to connect to the internet. “Connectivity modules are typically controlled remotely and are the necessary link between the device and the internet,” the letter said.
The letter also cited Russia’s theft of $5 million worth of farm equipment from a John Deere DE 0.00%↑ dealership in Ukraine that was embedded with Western-made connectivity modules. “Because the modules can be controlled remotely and the vehicles require internet connectivity to operate, remotely shutting down the module allows the module provider to shut the vehicle down. When Russia moved the stolen John Deere vehicles across the border into Russia, the modules were disabled—shutting down the equipment and effectively turning the vehicles into bricks,” the letter said.
For its part, Quectel said the letter to the FCC had several misconceptions about how its modules work. “We welcome the opportunity to work with the FCC and other U.S. government entities to demonstrate our compliance and best practice device security approach,” says Norbert Muhrer, president and CSO, Quectel Wireless Solutions, in a statement.
In addition to cellular modules, Quectel also provides Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GNSS modules and antennas.
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HERE Says Map Data Chosen By Majority of EU Automakers
HERE Technologies said that its Intelligent Speed Assistant Map location data is being used by more than 50 brands from 21 global automakers to comply with the European Union’s ISA regulation. HERE, in an announcement at IAA Mobility in Munich this week, said the company has signed contracts with such brands as BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, VinFast, IVECO, Scania and more.
ISA is an in-vehicle system that leverages speed limit data to inform, warn and discourage drivers from exceeding the statutory limit on any given EU roadway, the company said. “Many automakers are combining ISA with other ADAS such as adaptive cruise control. A particular strength of ISA Map layers is their ability to effectively see over the horizon and around corners, allowing the ACC to proactively adjust driving speed in anticipation of a change in the speed limit,” said James Hodgson, research director at ABI Research, in a statement.
At IAA Mobility, Qualcomm QCOM 0.00%↑ and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have partnered to provide development infrastructure and tools to accelerate autonomous driving and software-defined vehicle (SDV) transformation, the companies said. Qualcomm’s software stack powers a vehicle’s computer vision system for advanced safety functions like automatic braking and lane assist, the company said. Through AWS, developers can use the cloud to simulate, test, validate, and verify their new features and functions before moving to more traditional testing on hardware, the company said.
At the conference, BMW announced it would use AWS’ cloud software technology to power its semi-autonomous driver assistance system. BMW said its next generation ADAS will be featured in its 2025 Neue Klasse electric cars that it announced this week.
Also at the conference, Deeproute.ai said it would open an operations center in Germany in 2024, according to TechCrunch. Deeproute.ai, which has raised $350 million in funding and has 500 employees, says its Drive 3.0 works without HD maps, but also has valet park assist and costs $2,000.
Google Cloud, Continental Partner
Google Cloud GOOG 0.00%↑ and Continental [CTTAY] have partnered to combine Continental's expertise in automotive technology with Google's data and AI technologies to create new automotive solutions. Continental will integrate Google Cloud's Conversational AI technologies directly into its Smart Cockpit High-Performance Computer (HPC) solution, running on Android Automotive OS (AAOS).
In the United States, General Motors GM 0.00%↑ and Google Cloud said they will bring conversational AI technology into millions of GM vehicles. GM's OnStar already has an Interactive Virtual Assistant (IVA) that has powered by advanced, intent-recognition algorithms that use Google Cloud's conversational AI technologies to routing and navigation assistance.
In other IAA Mobility news:
Mobileye $MBLY and Valeo partnered to deliver software-defined imaging radars for next-generation driver assist and automated driving features. Mobileye believes that imaging radar will be an enabling element for more advanced hands-off ADAS solutions and eyes-off automated driving features on highways and urban streets. Valeo also launched anSWer at the conference, which features software stacks that serve as building blocks for connected car applications, the company said.
Carteav has announced that the company has achieved 10,000 kilometers of driverless service in managed areas in Israel and Turkey and more than 10,000 trips.
In-vehicle data provider CARUSO has signed an agreement with Renault Group that allows customers to access the vehicle's data such as mileage or geoposition without the need to install any additional device. The CARUSO data marketplace is currently one of the leading platforms for real-time in-vehicle data in Europe, the company said.
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Digital Matter Offers Worldwide Asset Tracking With New GPS Devices
Digital Matter has announced the expansion of its battery-powered IoT asset tracking portfolio with the addition of 4G Cat 1bis and 2G connectivity to enable worldwide asset visibility.
The Oyster3 and Remora3 Global GPS devices feature ‘deploy once’ battery life and enable asset tracking and management across most of the world’s cellular networks.
“Many of our partners require a truly global connectivity solution. In regions where LTE-M and NB-IoT are not available, 4G Cat 1bis with 2G Fallback has proven an excellent solution to enable asset visibility anywhere in the world with a cell network,” says Ken Everett, Digital Matter CEO and founder.
The company’s Global product range also presents a tracking solution for regions such as Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia—particularly as 2G and 3G network sunsets continue.
“We’re seeing a growing reluctance to deploy 2G-only products as the lifespan of these networks is limited, but in many countries 2G still offers the best coverage. With our new Global range, partners can deploy today on 2G and migrate to 4G Cat 1bis when they are ready,” Everett said.
In addition to GPS, the Remora3 Global features Bluetooth to communicate with nearby Bluetooth tags, sensors and beacons. This enables flexible tagged asset and condition monitoring, including temperature, humidity, impact detection and more, the company said.
Through the deployment of GPS asset tracking in global supply chains, businesses can optimize routes, reduce idle times, and enhance asset recovery security. Additionally, IoT asset tracking technologies enable predictive maintenance, ensure compliance, and support data-driven decision-making, ultimately fostering increased efficiency and sustainability in the global marketplace, the company said.
Featuring a broad range of over-the-air configurable parameters for scalable device management, Digital Matter's asset tracking solutions are simple to integrate and ready for use on any existing platform, the company said.
For more information about the Oyster3 Global, Remora3 Global, and Digital Matter's comprehensive range of battery-powered asset tracking devices, visit www.digitalmatter.com.
Contact: Shay Kettner, Digital Matter, shay@digitalmatter.com, www.digitalmatter.com.
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Dart Transit Selects Trimble Fleet Management Solutions for 1,000 Trucks
Trimble TRMB 0.00%↑ has announced that Eagan, Minn.-based Dart Transit Company will install its Instinct driver experience and Video Intelligence fleet management solutions to more than 1,000 trucks. Dart, founded in 1934, is one of the nation’s largest truckload dry van carriers.
Instinct features a suite of applications that enhance a driver’s dispatch and telematics experience, the company said. Trimble’s Video Intelligence includes forward, side and rear-facing cameras. The unit allows company-controlled setting to coach drivers and capture high-resolution video during an accident, the company said.
Trimble Releases 2022 Sustainability Report
Trimble also announced its 2022 Sustainability Report, featuring progress and milestones as part of its sustainability strategy, the company said.
The report summarizes Trimble's sustainability initiatives and performance, highlighting the company's sustainability approach; end-user industry solutions; community philanthropy through its Trimble Foundation Fund; employee engagement and development as well as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives; and governance, the company said.
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Other Location News:
News tip? Send them to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Top News:
🛰 Globalstar Picks SpaceX To Refresh Leo Constellation. “Globalstar GSAT 0.00%↑ has contracted SpaceX to launch Apple-backed satellites in 2025 to replenish its low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity constellation. The operator said in an Aug. 30 regulatory filing it will pay a total $64 million to launch the first set of satellites ordered last year from MDA, which is using Rocket Lab to supply chassis for the spacecraft.”
😥 Nexar Cuts 14% Of Team in Third Round of Layoffs. Nexar laid off 17 employees on Monday, accounting for 14 percent of the startup’s total workforce of 120. Nexar uses dashcam footage it collects to create an AI-digital twin of U.S. roads and their surroundings.
⚡ Vodafone and Amazon's Project Kuiper To Extend Connectivity in Africa and Europe. “Vodafone VOD 0.00%↑ and Vodacom plan to use Project Kuiper's low- Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation to extend the reach of their 4G/5G networks.”
☹ California Church Fined During COVID Lockdown Sues County for 'Spying' on Worshippers. “A lawsuit filed by Advocates for Faith & Freedom accuses Santa Clara County and Colorado-based data company SafeGraph of 'an invasive and warrantless geofencing operation to track residents.'"
Maps:
😮 Google Maps Testing New Colors That Look a Lot Like Apple Maps. “Google Maps is testing an updated color palette for the background map layer that will undoubtedly draw some comparisons to Apple Maps.”
🙄 Widespread Waze Bug Makes Using CarPlay Navigation at Night Dangerous. “Waze is significantly better than Apple Maps for several reasons. First, the crowdsourcing engine allows users to send traffic reports and help the application find faster routes to the destination. Apple Maps also packs incident reporting, but the feature is yet to gain traction, even in the United States.”
😐 Google Maps vs TomTom: Which App Is Better For Android Auto. “While both apps show real-time traffic updates, only TomTom GO shows road closures.”
🗺 Seattle Mapmaker Celebrates 50 Years of Guiding Hikers. “Washington hikers who rely on maps have likely unfolded one from Green Trails Maps.”
🤞 This AI-Powered App Wants To Optimize Google Maps' Multi-Stop Routes. “Routora launched as a Google Maps-exclusive Chrome extension and separate mapping app in March 2022. You could enter a list of stops in Google Maps, hit the Routora button, and the extension would calculate the fastest route between all points.”
📌 Leak Reveals That Apple Is Planning a Huge Update for Its Google Maps Killer. “The detailed city experience, often called DCE, is a major step toward bringing Apple Maps closer to Google Maps in terms of functionality. However, its rollout happens slowly, with Apple gradually bringing its new and detailed maps to new regions worldwide.”
🤨 Google Maps vs. Waze: 5 Big Differences Between the World's Best Navigation Apps.
👍 TomTom Next: How a Global Student Hackathon Is Inspiring Future Mapmakers.
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Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
🙁 Cruise Pushes Back Against Claims From the SF Fire Department. “Cruise is pushing back against an accusation from the San Francisco Fire Department, which claims that one of the company’s autonomous vehicles delayed an ambulance after a deadly accident.”
💰 Government Pumps £18.5m Into Autonomous Vehicles. “The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) is providing 18.5 million pounds to fund 13 different projects focusing on self-driving technologies, products and services.”
👌 Korean Internet Giant Naver Explores Robotics, AI and Autonomous Driving. “Naver Labs’ research is aimed at five spaces: robotics (Around, Around G and Ambidex), AI (ARC System), digital twins (Alike and Hybrid HD mapping), computer vision/augmented reality (Indoor AR Navigation and Ahead) and autonomous driving technology.”
🤨 Time To Cut Bait on JTA's Driverless Skyway Replacement. “Six years after the Jacksonville Transportation Authority announced its proposal to replace the Skyway monorail with a fleet of driverless vehicles, reports are showing the required technology is still years if not decades away.”
🤦♂️ Teamsters Call On Gov. Newsom To Put Safety Before Big Tech. “AB 316 is not a ban on self-driving trucks; rather, it protects good jobs and keeps roads safe by requiring a trained human operator behind the wheel of autonomous vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds.”
😐 Waymo Is Using Insurance Data About Self-Driving Cars To Bolster Its Safety Case. “Waymo is using insurance data to make the case that its self-driving cars are safer than human drivers. The report, a result of the collaboration first announced last year between the Alphabet-owned company and the insurer Swiss Re, is intended to show how driverless vehicles crash less often and damage less property than human-driven vehicles.”
🚗 Self-Driving Taxi Company Cruise Eyes Atlanta.
Other Stuff:
🛴 UK Startup BackPedal Uses GPS Tracking To Reclaim Stolen E-Bikes. “The UK-based startup offers e-bike owners a monthly subscription service, which includes recovery of the e-bike and, more recently, insurance via Sundays Insurance, one of the largest cycle insurers in the UK. BackPedal says it has a 90 percent recovery rate.”
😏 Muon Magic: Groundbreaking Technology Enables Navigation in Places GPS Can’t Reach. “Researchers from the University of Tokyo have used superfast, subatomic particles known as muons to wirelessly navigate underground. The team utilized ground stations that detect muons, coordinating them with a subterranean muon-detecting receiver to pinpoint the receiver’s location in the basement of a six-story building.”
🛩 Israel Innovation Authority Awards Anti-Drone Grant. Airobotics’ grant will be used to improve Iron Drone Raider’s interception capabilities in non-combat environments, with a focus on reducing collateral damage as drones’ GPS systems are jammed and they are brought down.”
Financial:
✔ Spire Global Effects 1-For-8 Reverse Stock Split.
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Location Industry Briefs
Send your news releases to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
GLI Partners With Unerry
GroundLevel Insights (GLI) and unerry have partnered to offer Toyko-based unerryʼs Beacon Bank service in North America. GLI has offered Analysis / Visualization Service and Behavior Change Service through Digital Advertising as the North American version of Beacon Bank service in the U.S. and Canada.
GLI will collaborate with unerry to process more than 240 million location data IDs of North America and over 15 million POI data locations. Unerry has cultivated 150 million IDs of location data in Japan, the company said.
Beacon Bank uses GPS and beacon technology to analyze more than 40 billion monthly data points and about 150 million IDs obtained from smartphone applications, the company said.
Contact: Beacon Bank, information@unerry.co.jp, www.beaconbank.jp.
U-blox Rolls Out Chipset for ORBCOMM Connectivity
Thalwil, Switzerland-based u-blox has launched the UBX-S52 chipset for ORBCOMM satellite connectivity and cellular terrestrial networks. The chipset, with GNSS positioning, is the first u-blox cellular module compliant with the ORBCOMM IDP protocol, the company said.
The company said that UBX-S52 is the smallest multi-mode IoT module in the SARA form factor. In addition, the company’s M10 GNSS offers positioning concurrently with LTE.
Contact: Natacha Seitz, u-blox, 41 76 436 0788, natacha.seitz@u-blox.com, www.u-blox.com.
EtherWhere Partners with Xona Space Systems to Develop Low Power PULSAR + GNSS Receiver
EtherWhere has partnered with Xona Space Systems to develop a receiver capable of tracking multi-frequency PULSAR signals. EtherWhere’s PULSAR + dual-band GNSS receiver will be a one chip, low power solution that integrates all four GNSS constellations, the company said. The single chip solution, with single digit mW power consumption, is intended to further enable IoT, asset tracking, mobile, precise timing, and secure geolocation applications, the company said.
Contact: Xona Space Systems, info@xonaspace.com, www.xonaspace.com.
Haltian Launches Inventory Tracking Solution
Oulu, Finland-based Haltian has launched its Inventory Tracking Solution (HITS), a scalable asset tracking system to allow businesses manage and oversee their assets and inventory, the company said. HITS features real-time location data for assets across various sectors, including warehouses, manufacturing and logistics facilities, data centers, and hospitals, the company said.
The tracking system works by attaching a small tag to items, devices, and other assets. The Haltian NANO Tag, comparable in size to a piece of chewing gum, provides detailed information regarding the asset and its exact location within a range of 1–5 meters, the company said. The solution can be scaled using the Wirepas Mesh network, compatible with any tag with Wirepas’ connectivity.
Contact: Pasi Leipälä, Haltian, pasi.leipala@haltian.com, www.haltian.com.
Smart Eye's AIS Driver Monitoring System Integrated with Geotab
Smart Eye has announced the integration of AIS, the company’s hardware and software driver monitoring system for fleets, with Geotab's fleet management platform. The integration makes Smart Eye's AIS available on the Geotab Marketplace. Geotab's platform allows fleet managers to gain real-time vehicle data, in-vehicle driver coaching, fuel efficiency monitoring, predictive maintenance, fleet compliance tools and more, the company said.
Geotab also partnered with Greater Than, a provider of driver crash probability and climate impact intelligence, to deliver AI-generated crash probability insights to fleet customers.
Contact: Gabi Zijderveld, Smart Eye, gabi.zijderveld@smarteye.ai.
Hyundai Introduces In-Vehicle Payment Service with Parkopedia
Hyundai has partnered with Parkopedia to launch Hyundai Pay’s first service, a new parking payment system. The system enables U.S. drivers to locate, reserve and pay for parking at 6,000 locations—from their vehicles, the company said.
Hyundai Pay launches with the new 2024 Hyundai Kona. An additional nine Hyundai models will get Hyundai Pay in the future. Hyundai Pay offers customers features via the vehicle’s touchscreen and the Bluelink connected car system.
Conact: Adam Calland, Parkopedia, 44(0)7838219129, adam.calland@parkopedia.com.
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Hexagon-NovAtel Releases Version 9.0 of Waypoint Post-Processing Software
Hexagon-NovAtel has released its version 9.00 of its Waypoint post-processing software. This includes Inertial Explorer, Inertial Explorer Xpress and GrafNav/GrafNav Static.
Waypoint 9.00 also includes BeiDou Phase III support and a refreshed, streamlined GUI for users to import, process and export their data faster and more efficiently. The software includes built-in environment and application profiles that support NovAtel products and third-party GNSS receivers, the company said.
Contact: Hexagon-NovAtel, www.novatel.com/products/waypoint-post-processing-software.
ITS America and Cambridge Consultants Partner
ITS America and Cambridge Consultants (CC) have partnered to promote transportation technologies. ITS America and CC hosted a Digital Infrastructure Workshop at the 2023 ITS America Annual Conference and Expo, to gather feedback on what a U.S. strategy for digital infrastructure could look like, the association said. Cross-industry consensus strategies will be shared with the U.S. Department of Transportation to inform their policy and research on digital transformation, the association said.
Contact: The Intelligent Transportation Society of America, www.itsa.org.
MiX Telematics Announces DVS & FORS Partnership with Parksafe Group in the UK
MiX Telematics MIXT 0.00%↑ has partnered with Parksafe Group to equip their United Kingdom fleets with Direct Vision Standard (DVS) and Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) solutions in order to meet compliance regulations. MiX Telematics, founded in 1996, has 1 million global subscribers from more than 120 countries.
Contact: MiX Telematics, www.mixtelematics.com.
InfiniDome to Showcase First Live Demo of GPS Anti-Jamming Solutions Tailored for UAV Protection
InfiniDome will be performing a live demo of their solutions at DSEI London 2023, Sept. 12-14, at Stand H1-160 in Hall 1 at the Israeli pavilion. The live demo will enable visitors to participate in an immersive hands-on demonstration of their C-SWaP (Cost, Size, Weight and Power) optimized anti-jamming solutions, the company said.
Attendees will be able to see infiniDome’s anti-jamming solutions protecting a GNSS receiver from jammers, using real (emulated) GNSS signals and real jamming signals—all in a first-of-its-kind Faraday, the company said.
Contact: infiniDome, 972-4-7707700, info@infiniDome.com.
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People
Jumpei Nishihara has joined UnaBiz Japan as sales director. Prior to joining UnaBiz, Nishihara served as the regional channel sales manager at Akamai Technologies.
Shawn Smith has been named implementation specialist at GPS Insight.
Pete Costello has been named an advisor at Ohmio. Costello is also in a new position in business development at Drive Engineering.
Stefan Hauser has been named senior account executive at HERE Technologies. Marco Maas has been named senior project manager at HERE in Eindhoven.
Anthony Landamia was named senior director, product management - connected car at Xperi.
MapLibre has named Birk Skyum, Harel Mazor, Luke Seelenbinder, Petr Pridal and Yuri Astrakhan to its governing board. MapLibre also said there are 93 voting members.
Jobs
Sales Manager GNSS/INS Benelux. Septentrio.
Governance Program Manager I. HERE Technologies.
Business Development for ODM, APAC. Quectel.
Senior Transportation Planner. Michael Baker International.
Transportation Planner. AECOM.
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