🚗 What if a traffic light could tell your car "I'm about to turn red" — before you even see it?
A pedestrian might dart out from a blind intersection. An oncoming car might be speeding toward a crossing. What if your vehicle could "know" about these invisible dangers through wireless signals? This is V2X technology — and Japan just took a major step toward deploying it nationwide with a new consortium founded by Kyocera, Toyota, and four other industry giants.
What Is V2X? When Vehicles Learn to "Talk"
V2X stands for "Vehicle-to-Everything," an umbrella term for technologies that enable vehicles to wirelessly communicate with the world around them. This includes V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle), V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure), and V2P (Vehicle-to-Pedestrian) communication.
Picture this: as your car approaches a blind intersection, sensors installed along the road detect an oncoming vehicle or a pedestrian stepping off the curb. That information is instantly transmitted wirelessly to your car. No smartphone alert — the car itself becomes aware of the danger. This supplements what human senses (eyes and ears) cannot perceive, preventing accidents before they happen.
Japan allocated the 760MHz frequency band for ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) use early on by global standards. In 2015, Toyota became the first automaker in the world to commercialize a V2X system called "ITS Connect," and it has since been integrated into passenger vehicles, ambulances, and other vehicles.
Why a New Consortium? Opening Roadside Units to Everyone
On February 9, 2026, six companies — Kyosan Electric Manufacturing, Kyocera, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Denso, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Nippon Signal — announced the establishment of the "760MHz ITS Roadside Unit Promotion Consortium." The founding general meeting was held on December 24, 2025, with Professor Eiji Hato of the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Engineering serving as chairman.
Behind this consortium lies a significant regulatory shift. The "roadside units" (RSUs) that support V2X communication are wireless transmitters installed along roads. Previously, only the police could install and operate these units. However, as demand for autonomous driving infrastructure grew, regulations were amended to allow national and local governments as well as private businesses to deploy RSUs.
But new freedom brings new challenges. When multiple operators install RSUs independently, signals from nearby units can interfere with each other — similar to two radio stations broadcasting on adjacent frequencies creating static. This "radio interference" problem is precisely what the consortium aims to prevent by building a centralized RSU database, coordinating frequency usage among operators, and establishing protocols for preventing and resolving interference issues.
The Six Founding Members: A Strategic Assembly
The six founding companies represent a well-balanced coalition covering the entire V2X ecosystem.
Toyota Motor Corporation pioneered commercial V2X in 2015 with ITS Connect. Denso, Toyota Group's core components manufacturer, develops V2X communication modules. Kyocera, a major communications equipment and electronic components company, has pursued ITS research for years. Sumitomo Electric Industries brings expertise in fiber optics and communication infrastructure, with a strong presence in road and traffic systems. Kyosan Electric Manufacturing and Nippon Signal are Japan's leading traffic signal manufacturers responsible for deploying physical traffic infrastructure.
In essence, the consortium unites vehicle-side technology companies (Toyota, Denso), communication and component specialists (Kyocera, Sumitomo Electric), and the companies that actually install and manage intersection equipment (Kyosan, Nippon Signal). This comprehensive coverage is what gives the consortium its practical power.
Why 760MHz? The Physics Behind the Frequency Choice
Different frequency bands have different characteristics. Japan's choice of 760MHz for V2X offers a key advantage for road environments: lower frequencies "bend" around obstacles like buildings more effectively (a property called diffraction). This means signals are less likely to be blocked at complex urban intersections where visibility is poor.
Meanwhile, the global trend is moving toward the 5.9GHz band for V2X. Europe, the United States, China, and South Korea are all developing infrastructure in this range. Japan's government is also preparing for 5.9GHz deployment around 2030, with trial runs already underway on the Shin-Tomei Expressway.
So 760MHz represents Japan's "current foundation" already in operation, while 5.9GHz is the "next-generation foundation" for advanced autonomous driving. This consortium focuses on scaling up the current foundation nationwide — a critical stepping stone.
Government Targets: Road Safety and Autonomous Driving by 2030
Japan's government has set ambitious targets for 2030: reducing annual traffic fatalities to 1,900 or fewer and serious injuries to 20,000 or fewer. Additionally, the plan calls for scaling Level 4 autonomous driving (vehicles that can operate without human intervention under specific conditions) for buses, taxis, and trucks to 10,000 vehicles by fiscal year 2030.
Approximately 40% of fatal traffic accidents in Japan occur at or near intersections — precisely the scenario V2X technology addresses. By linking roadside sensors with vehicle systems, V2X can warn drivers about pedestrians they might miss, prevent red-light running, and reduce head-on collisions at intersections.
The consortium plans to actively recruit government agencies, local municipalities, and private operators as members, establishing shared rules for pre-installation coordination and troubleshooting.
V2X Around the World: Different Roads, Same Destination
V2X deployment is a global trend, but each region takes a different approach.
China leads in C-V2X (Cellular V2X) technology. In 2024, the government selected 20 cities for a "Vehicle-Road-Cloud Integration" pilot project, and V2X integration in new vehicles is expanding rapidly. The United States saw the FCC allocate the 5.9GHz band for C-V2X, with numerous pilot projects underway. Europe plans to include V2X features in Euro NCAP safety ratings, expected from 2027, creating market incentives for automakers. South Korea officially adopted C-V2X in 2023 and is testing deployments across roughly 2,400 km of expressway.
The global V2X communication module market was valued at approximately $1.3 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach nearly $5 billion by 2034 — a sign of the technology's growing momentum worldwide.
The "Invisible Infrastructure" of Self-Driving Society
When people think about autonomous driving, they tend to focus on the cameras, LiDAR sensors, and AI chips inside the vehicle. But safe autonomous driving cannot be achieved by the car alone. Information flowing from the road to the vehicle, and real-time sharing between vehicles — this "invisible infrastructure" is what truly enables a self-driving society.
This consortium represents the next chapter in Japan's V2X journey, which began with Toyota's ITS Connect over a decade ago. It transforms what started as a single automaker's innovation into an industry-wide, government-supported initiative to build communication infrastructure across the nation.
Japan is advancing its autonomous driving vision through "san-kan-gaku" (三位一体) — a collaborative approach linking industry, government, and academia — addressing not just technology but regulations and standards in parallel. How is V2X or autonomous driving infrastructure progressing in your country? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
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Reactions in Japan
Opening 760MHz roadside units to private operators beyond police is huge. But the consortium's coordination ability will be tested. Interference issues don't always play out as calculated on paper.
When I explain ITS Connect to customers, 90% of them say 'What's that?' Awareness is severely lacking. I hope the consortium works on public education too.
The regulatory reform is a good move, but the licensing process for RSUs is still overly complicated. Without making it accessible for smaller operators, widespread adoption won't happen.
My parent is an elderly driver, so I'm genuinely hoping V2X becomes widespread. Just telling them 'there's someone there' at intersections could prevent so many accidents.
760MHz is great for urban intersections since it penetrates around buildings, but the 10MHz bandwidth is a bottleneck. A dual approach with 5.9GHz will be essential going forward.
All six companies are ITS industry veterans which is reassuring, but the absence of startups or IT firms is slightly concerning. Hope it doesn't become a closed ecosystem.
Our municipality has wanted to install this at accident-prone intersections for a while, but only police could deploy them before. I'll reach out to the consortium.
In the end, you won't benefit unless you're driving a compatible car. Deploying more RSUs is meaningless if vehicles can't keep up. Classic chicken-and-egg problem.
When Toyota launched ITS Connect in 2015, people said it was 'too early.' That early investment is finally bearing fruit. A ten-year-long strategic play.
Living in a rural area, I wonder how many decades before RSUs reach our region... I understand cities get priority, but aging populations are more of a rural issue.
Highway merge points are the scariest. If V2X could tell you 'a truck is in the acceleration lane right now,' it would save lives. Can't wait for the Shin-Tomei trial results.
I heard aftermarket V2X units for bicycles are being developed. Cyclists, who are hard for cars to see, should benefit the most from this technology.
I support V2X expansion, but I don't see enough discussion on security. What happens if RSUs get hacked and send false information? We need to get ahead of this.
Some say China's ahead with C-V2X while Japan plods along with 760MHz, but Japan values the test→standardize→deploy process. Slow and steady approach has its merits.
Any technology that saves even one life from traffic accidents is welcome. V2X, automatic braking — use everything available. We support the consortium's efforts.
Wonder why Honda and Nissan aren't founding members. Maybe it's hard for other companies to join a Toyota-led consortium? This needs industry-wide alignment to be meaningful.
China has V2X pilot programs running in over 20 cities, yet Japan is still at the consortium formation stage? Feels like they're a lap behind, though Japan's obsession with quality control might make a difference in the end.
The US wasted over a decade arguing about V2X spectrum allocation. Honestly envious that Japan can build consensus across industry, government, and academia so efficiently.
760MHz is an interesting choice, but it's completely incompatible with Europe's ITS-G5 at 5.9GHz. For global automakers, adapting to region-specific systems adds significant costs.
Looking at India's traffic situation, V2X is most needed right here. But our road infrastructure is still underdeveloped. Japan's consortium model could be a framework India should reference.
Korea only officially adopted C-V2X in 2023. Considering Japan has had 760MHz in real operation since 2015, Japan is clearly the senior player in V2X. Though we fully intend to overtake on next-gen.
As an automotive security consultant, I'm concerned that the consortium announcement doesn't mention RSU cybersecurity standards at all. These could become prime targets for hackers.
In Sweden, Volvo has deployed V2V for slippery road surface warnings. It's a different angle from Japan's V2I approach. The optimal solution probably varies based on each country's climate and road conditions.
V2X is a priority in Dubai's smart city plans too. But we have the advantage of designing roads from scratch. Japan's challenge of retrofitting existing infrastructure might actually be harder.
In Mexico, there are places where traffic lights don't even work properly. V2X feels like a distant dream. But I hope Japan perfects this technology and eventually brings it to developing countries.
Only 6 companies in the consortium seems small? The US-based 5GAA has hundreds of members. Japan's compact approach is efficient, but I wonder if the limited scale will affect deployment speed.
Taiwan is also considering V2X deployment, but there's political debate over whether to align with Japan's 760MHz or China's C-V2X approach. Choosing a tech standard has become a geopolitical issue.
Under revised EU C-ITS directives, V2X-equipped vehicles will gain Euro NCAP safety score points from 2027. Market incentives in Europe vs. consensus-building in Japan — interesting to see which approach deploys faster.
The fact that 40% of Japan's traffic fatalities are at intersections — and technology can actually address that — is remarkable. In India, we'd need to change driving culture itself, not just deploy tech.
As a Japanese American, Toyota's V2X leadership makes me proud. But it's disappointing that Toyota vehicles in the US don't have ITS Connect. Hope for global rollout someday.
In Russia's vast territory, satellite-based vehicle monitoring is more realistic than inter-city V2X connections. Japan's compact geography is precisely why nationwide RSU deployment is a feasible concept.