Cellphone Networks and the Future of Traffic

Ask someone what they think the future of driving is and the most likely response is autonomous cars. It’s true sensing and autonomy are dramatically changing cars, but there’s another information revolution afoot. Cheap sensors and network availability aren't just making cars smarter, they’re boosting the brainpower of the environment cars drive in.

Networks of sensors connected by the web make it possible to monitor traffic, parking availability, air pollution, road quality and more in real time across vast distances. Traffic monitoring in particular has been revolutionized. This kind of data gives drivers real-time travel time predictions, fosters creation of smart roads where tolls and signals can adapt to changing conditions and provides urban planners with accurate pictures of traffic usage and its effects, improving planning.