Cellnex Telecom to convert Castellolí Parcmotor into a connected circuit

The company will equip the circuit with infrastructures and technology to allow the facility’s users and customers to develop new products and services linked to smart mobility and the connected vehicle

• The objective is to convert Castellolí-Barcelona Parcmotor into a technological benchmark with an integrated ecosystem of innovation in the field of connected and autonomous vehicles.
• Cellnex Telecom will equip the circuit with a wireless network offering coverage throughout the site, allowing connectivity between vehicles, high-definition cameras for monitoring vehicles on the track and on-board units for transmitting telemetry, voice and video data; it will also provide an IoT (Internet of Things) and broadband network.
• At Parcmotor the company will also test and develop new technological solutions and services linked to connectivity, specially designed for non-urban or semi-rural environments.
• The agreement was signed today by Óscar Pallarols, Cellnex’s Director of Innovation and Product Strategy, and Xavier Bartrolí, President of Parcmotor. The ceremony was also attended by Joan Serra, Mayor of Castellolí, and Albert Castellanos, Director General of Economic Promotion at the Catalan Government.

Barcelona, 25 October, 2017. Cellnex Telecom will equip the Castellolí-Barcelona Parcmotor circuit with the necessary infrastructures and technology for the operators and companies working to develop the mobility of the future, advanced traffic solutions and vehicle manufacture to develop innovative products and services linked to smart mobility and the connected and autonomous vehicle.

The objective is to make the Castellolí Parcmotor into a benchmark environment and an innovative testing space for the development of ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) technological solutions, particularly in the field of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications, which can subsequently be implemented in vehicles (future mobility), in towns and cities (smart cities) and on roads and motorways (smart roads).

The agreement was signed today by Óscar Pallarols, Cellnex’s Director of Innovation and Product Strategy, and Xavier Bartrolí, President of Parcmotor. The signature event was also attended by Joan Serra, Mayor of Castellolí, and Albert Castellanos, Director General of Economic Promotion at the Generalitat de Catalunya.

As a telecommunications infrastructures operator, Cellnex already participates in other projects with these characteristics at both State and European level.

Cellnex Director of Innovation and Product Strategy Óscar Pallarols highlighted that “the agreement with the managers of the Castellolí circuit forms part of the various lines of work performed by Cellnex in relation to mobile connectivity of objects and people. The Internet of Things, mobile connectivity – with special emphasis on everything affecting the connected vehicle – and the role that 5G will play in the near future with very specific requirements in terms of speeds, response times, density of the transmission network, etc… We are talking about an ecosystem of innovative technologies that must be tested in environments that reproduce the real daily experience to the maximum. The Castellolí-Barcelona Parcmotor meets the conditions to make that possible.”

Francesc Xavier Bartrolí, President of Parcmotor, thanked Cellnex for its commitment to the circuit and stressed that “The agreement we have signed today is the first step in the new positioning strategy that we have set ourselves as the new managers of the Parcmotor Castellolí-Barcelona. We want to become a benchmark in the short term to serve brands in the automotive and mobility sector. The agreement with a leading company like Cellnex is a big step for us and brings us closer to this goal. Together we have started on an exciting path and an extraordinary future”.

Cellnex Telecom will equip the Castellolí Parcmotor circuit with broadband connectivity, roll out a wireless network with coverage throughout the facility – which will allow connectivity between vehicles -, high-definition cameras for monitoring on-track vehicles and on-board units in the vehicles themselves to transmit telemetry, video and voice data, plus an IoT (Internet of Things) network based on LPWA Sigfox technology, providing the ability to manage and analyse data, among other things.

All of this under the premise of efficient energy management, since the entire infrastructure deployed by Cellnex will be self-supplied by wind and/or solar energy.

As part of the project, Cellnex also plans to test and develop new technological solutions and future services linked to connectivity in Parcmotor (IoT, 5G and connected/autonomous vehicle), specially designed for non-urban or semi-rural environments.

About Cellnex Telecom

Cellnex is the main independent European operator of wireless communications infrastructure, with a total portfolio of more than 24,000 sites. The company is present and operates in 6 countries: Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Cellnex’s business is structured in four major areas: mobile telephony infrastructures; audiovisual broadcasting networks, security and emergency service networks and solutions for smart urban infrastructure and services management (smart cities and the “Internet of Things” (IoT)). 2016 Cellnex Telecom obtained revenues of € 707 million (+15%) and EBITDA of € 290 million (+23%).

About the Parcmotor Castellolí-Barcelona circuit

Building work started in 2005 with an initial budget of €15 million and was essentially aimed at motorcycling. The complex has now diversified and has received significant investments and improvements in services, with special attention to cars and safety.

The various tracks are located on a site covering more than 100 hectares, offering comprehensive coverage for practicing motor sports, with a 4,100m type-approved speed circuit, a school circuit, karting, motocross circuit, trial area, 4×4 track and a wide range of services for R+D.

Under the aegis of the Catalan Motorcycle Federation (FCEM) Parcmotor came under new management in 2017, consolidating the installation with this agreement as the innovation circuit, with an investment in technology serving the industry and transforming mobility.

Sport is also in the original DNA of the installation, with the aim of generating a competitions programme and the “Talents” project together with the Catalan Motorcycle Federation.

The basic pillars of the Castellolí-Barcelona Parcmotor are a commitment to safety and training, with more than 4,000 users improving their driving skills every year. The facilities are an international benchmark; Companies like BMW, Porsche, Audi, SEAT, Volvo, KTM, Honda and Firestone, to name just a few, have chosen Parcmotor for their international events.