The Role of 5G Technologies: Challenges in Smart Cities and Intelligent Transportation Systems

The new mobile technology, 5G, challenges the current scenario in communications by overcoming the flaws of currently working 4G. Such new technology offers to smart cities and intelligent transportation systems a new way to become fully integrated by allowing massive simultaneous connections and ubiquity of network, even under high mobility situations or dense populated areas. In this way, 5G will become a key enabler for real Internet of Things and its corresponding Internet of Vehicles. This discussion is aimed at providing, in a comprehensive manner, how 5G technology will impact on smart cities, intelligent transportation systems -including autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles- and vehicular communications, its technical, economic and legal challenges, in the following years.