TIM has successfully completed the first development milestone of its Smart Roads Platform, delivering the initial implementation of the distributed communication architecture that will support IP-based exchange of C-ITS messages within the SCALE project.

The achievement marks the completion of the design and validation of the platform architecture in a dedicated development and testing environment. Although this phase focuses on validation, the platform is already fully operational and is actively supporting the experimental activities carried out within the project.

The Smart Roads Platform is designed to enable secure and efficient exchange of C-ITS messages among the partners of the C-Roads Italy ecosystem, while ensuring full compatibility with the specifications defined by the C-Roads Platform. At the same time, its architecture has been conceived to support future large-scale deployments across Italy and to facilitate interoperability with the broader European C-ITS ecosystem.

A distributed architecture for scalable C-ITS services

The architecture developed by TIM combines the Interchange Entity, responsible for communications between backend systems, with a distributed network of edge-deployed brokers dedicated to vehicle communications.

The solution is organized into two complementary layers:

• A centralized cloud-based integration layer
• A distributed dissemination layer deployed in edge cloud environments

This architecture allows the centralized layer to manage backend integration and message routing, while regional edge brokers provide low-latency communications with connected vehicles and roadside infrastructure. The two layers operate as a federated system, enabling C-ITS messages to be exchanged seamlessly in both top-down and bottom-up directions.

By distributing message dissemination at the edge while maintaining centralized coordination, the platform addresses key challenges associated with nationwide deployments, including high communication volumes, scalability requirements and stringent latency constraints, without departing from the communication protocols defined by the C-Roads Platform.

Bridging national and European C-ITS ecosystems

Within the proposed architecture, the upper layer implements the Interchange Entity defined by the C-Roads Platform. Its core is the ITS Broker, an AMQP-based component that provides motorway operators with a single national access point for C-ITS message dissemination.

Besides coordinating communications within Italy, this layer is designed to federate with other Interchange Entities across Europe, supporting cross-border interoperability and contributing to the development of a harmonized European Cooperative ITS ecosystem.

Edge intelligence for real-time communications

The lower layer of the architecture consists of a distributed infrastructure of V2X Brokers, responsible for real-time dissemination of messages between vehicles, infrastructure, and network services.

To guarantee low communication latency, vehicles dynamically connect to the geographically closest V2X Broker. As vehicles move across different regions, they are automatically redirected to the most appropriate broker without interrupting communications.

This capability is enabled by the Smart Roads Platform which identifies the optimal broker according to the vehicle’s position, relying on the quadkey-based geospatial indexing approach already adopted by the C-Roads Basic Interface.

Enabling the SCALE field trials

The first vehicles that will exploit the new Smart Roads Platform during the SCALE project are maintenance vehicles operating on the Italian road network, including those managed by ANAS. Thanks to hybrid onboard units (OBUs) these vehicles are already capable to connect to the TIM Smart Roads Platform and participating in the project’s experimental activities.

This first development milestone establishes the technological foundation for the next phases of SCALE, paving the way for increasingly distributed, scalable and interoperable C-ITS services capable of supporting safer, smarter and more connected road transport across Italy and Europe.