SkyV2X

ITS-G5 vs C-V2X.
The two V2X radios.

V2X runs over one of two access technologies. ITS-G5, the European profile of IEEE 802.11p, and C-V2X, the 3GPP sidelink that runs LTE-V2X today and 5G NR-V2X next. They carry the same ETSI messages; they differ underneath.

Side by side

Same messages,
different radio.

ITS-G5 C-V2X
Also called IEEE 802.11p, ETSI ITS-G5 (DSRC in the US) C-V2X PC5, LTE-V2X → NR-V2X
Physical layer IEEE 802.11p, ad-hoc (OCB mode) 3GPP sidelink (LTE Rel-14 → 5G NR Rel-16/17)
Band 5.9 GHz ITS band 5.9 GHz ITS band
Direct, no network Yes — native ad-hoc Yes over PC5; a Uu path via the network is also available
Over-the-air interop Does not decode C-V2X Does not decode ITS-G5
Maturity Field-proven, widely deployed in Europe Newer, deployments growing, active roadmap
Evolution Stable; IEEE 802.11bd next LTE-V2X → 5G NR-V2X (higher throughput, lower latency)

Both are standardised, both work, and neither one decodes the other over the air, so the choice comes down to the estate already in the ground and the national roadmap; there is no clear technical winner. Where both vehicle fleets share the same road, European deployments increasingly fit the roadside with both radios at once, a setup known as dual-mode. Because both share the 5.9 GHz band, running them side by side needs co-channel coexistence handling (ETSI TR 103 667, C2C-CC WP 2091).

The point

Only the radio
changes.

The radio is the one layer that varies by country, corridor and procurement round. A stack welded to one of them turns that choice into a rebuild.

The SkyV2X stack is radio-independent. The facilities, security and edge above stay identical whether the access layer is ITS-G5 or C-V2X; swapping the radio leaves everything above it untouched. And where a site runs both radios at once, the same stack sits over either one, so dual-mode is just a configuration of it.

Where the radio sits in the stack How the access layer changed in Release 2

FAQ

Questions,
answered.

Can ITS-G5 and C-V2X talk to each other over the air?
No. The two radios do not decode each other on the air. A site that needs both fits both radios at once, a setup called dual-mode. They carry the same ETSI messages, so the stack above stays identical.
Do ITS-G5 and C-V2X use the same frequency?
Yes, both operate in the 5.9 GHz ITS band. Running them side by side needs co-channel coexistence handling (ETSI TR 103 667, C2C-CC WP 2091).
Is ITS-G5 the same as DSRC?
ITS-G5 is the European profile of IEEE 802.11p; DSRC is the term used in the United States for the same 802.11p family. The ETSI access-layer standard is EN 302 663 (Release 1) and EN 303 797 (Release 2).
Which V2X radio should I deploy?
There is no clear technical winner; the choice comes down to the equipment already in the ground and the national roadmap. Because the SkyV2X stack is radio-independent, that choice does not lock in the software above it.

One stack, either radio.

See the full V2X software stack that runs the same over both.

See the V2X stack