The Traveller Information Services Association (TISA) has issued a position paper that details a number of requirements for future traffic information services. TISA calls for RDS-TMC services to continue on FM radio for many years to come but also notes that “gradual transition to TPEG-based services delivered via DAB digital radio is now required to deliver significantly more traffic and travel information content.”
Digital radio traveller information services based on TPEG are still yet to emerge in Europe and the TISA position paper is aimed at ensuring that the requirements of new traffic and travel information services are included in future radio service planning. TISA says that TPEG traffic and travel information services will require 12 Capacity Units (CU) per service within the multiplex payload. This is approximately 1.4% of the total. TISA also warns that the requirements of TPEG data services need to be included in multiplex and frequency planning at an early stage for digital radio.
According to TISA, all national digital radio multiplexes should have a reservation for “at least one public and one commercial TPEG service.” It is suggested that every multiplex should have a minimum of 24 CU reserved by national regulators for traffic and travel information data services.
In addition to basic traffic congestion information, SBD’s research into emerging TPEG services has identified enhancements including safety information, multi-modal public transport information, on-trip enhancements such as traffic flow and prediction, fuel price information, and point of interest information.
These enhancements are the advantage that TPEG can offer over TMC services. It is interesting to note that TPEG protocols are already being used by Audi and BMW for planned traffic information services that will use cellular communications.
TISA has been given the role of maintenance organisation for CEN and ISO standards covering both RDS-TMC and TPEG. A series of updates to the current TPEG standards were submitted to ISO by TISA at the end of 2010. These updates are aimed at facilitating commercial information services.
TISA is an association of traffic information organisation that was formed by the merger of the TMC Forum, TPEG Forum and the German Mobile.Info project led by BMW. The association is closely tied with Ertico ~ ITS Europe.
For more information on how SBD can help you understand the myriad of technologies and standards in order to find a profitable business model and deliver accurate and beneficial traffic and travel information to the end user, contact jappleby@sbd.co.uk