Loss Estimation in VANET Communications

Abstract Vehicle Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) provide efficient and secure communications between vehicles and infrastructure. Reliable data exchange between vehicles and Roadside Units (RSUs) is the main objective of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). One of the main tasks associated with automotive communications is the development of methods for predicting the behavior of VANET communication channels in critical conditions. This article explored data transfer between service provider, vehicles, and infrastructure in ITS. Since VANET requires communication channels with low packet loss, minimal message travel time and high Quality of Service (QoS) with the least number of bit errors, we simulated the simplest wireless communication channel in VANET and obtained data about possible packet losses at the RSU unit, message travel time over the network, the load of the vehicle communication link with the infrastructure, as well as information about the effect of the packet loss in the Internet and the influence of bit errors. The importance and usefulness of the performed numerical simulation lies in the ability to set traffic parameters and observe the resulting channel load, packet loss, message travel time, the number of bit errors and QoS in VANET under certain transmission modes.