ISO/TR 17732:2024

Intelligent transport systems (ITS) - Communications - ITS communication role and functional model

This document describes a basic role model of communications as a common platform for ITS services including cooperative service in smart city areas: a) a framework for the provision of a communication service; b) a description of the concept of operations and the role models; c) a conceptual architecture between actors involved in the provision/receipt of communication; d) references for the key documents on which the architecture is based; e) a taxonomy of the organization of generic procedures, with a focus on the basic role and functional model of service for the introduction of communications including infrastructure facilities to support mobility in urban and rural areas. In-vehicle control system is not within the scope of this document. The scope of this document is limited to the communications using physical and digital infrastructure.

Systèmes de transport intelligents (ITS) — Communications — Rôle des communications et modèle fonctionnel des ITS

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 11-Feb-2024
• ICS: 03.220.01 - Transport in general
• ICS: 35.240.60 - IT applications in transport
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 204 - Intelligent transport systems
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 204 - Intelligent transport systems
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 12-Feb-2024
• Due Date: 20-Oct-2024
• Completion Date: 12-Feb-2024

Overview

ISO/TR 17732:2024 - Intelligent transport systems (ITS) - Communications - ITS communication role and functional model is a Technical Report that defines a common communication role and functional model for ITS services. The document establishes a framework for delivering communication services that enable cooperative services in smart cities and rural mobility. It focuses on communications over physical and digital infrastructure and explicitly excludes in‑vehicle control systems.

Key topics

The report organizes ITS communications into a role-based, functional architecture and addresses practical communication considerations, including:

• Framework and concept of operations for provision and receipt of ITS communication services
• Role and functional models for actors such as communication service providers, ITS service providers, mobility users, and infrastructure platforms
• Data exchange taxonomy for probe/sensor data, 3D HD maps, and digital infrastructure services
• Connected vehicle/device environment issues: low latency, multi‑device access, network slicing, carrier aggregation, propagation speed between wired/wireless, RF spectrum sharing, Open RAN, and cloud networking
• Security and trust considerations (references ISO 21177 for secure ITS interfaces and PKI-based interactions)
• Application layer role models and options, plus certification considerations for service providers
• Notes on national variations and how the basic role model can be adapted internationally

Practical applications

ISO/TR 17732:2024 is intended to guide the design and deployment of communications platforms that support:

• Smart city services using ITS probe data and sensor sharing
• Cooperative ITS applications that require reliable, low‑latency communications (e.g., automated mobility support, traffic management integration)
• Mobility as a Service (MaaS) ecosystems where multiple actors share digital infrastructure and datasets
• Integration of telecom capabilities (network slicing, cloud RAN) with transport infrastructure for better scalability and QoS

Adoption of the role model helps reduce integration costs, harmonize multi‑vendor deployments, and provide a common baseline for secure, interoperable ITS communications.

Who should use this standard

• City planners and transport authorities designing smart city mobility platforms
• ITS service providers and system integrators building data exchange architectures
• Telecom operators and communication service providers aligning networks for ITS use cases
• Standards developers and regulators harmonizing ITS communications, security, and certification

Related standards

• ISO 21177 (secure ITS interface / secure data exchange protocols)
• Existing ITS Station architecture and communication media standards (referenced within the report)

ISO/TR 17732:2024 is a prescriptive guidance document for building interoperable, secure, and scalable ITS communication platforms across urban and rural mobility ecosystems.

Standards Content (Sample)

Technical
Report
ISO/TR 17732
First edition
Intelligent transport systems
2024-02
(ITS) — Communications — ITS
communication role and functional
model
Systèmes de transport intelligents (ITS) — Communications —
Rôle des communications et modèle fonctionnel des ITS
Reference number
© ISO 2024
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Abbreviated terms . 1
5 ITS communication functions . 1
5.1 General .1
5.2 Cyber security in ITS application services .2
5.3 Moving data between actors .2
5.4 Connected vehicle/device environment.2
5.4.1 General .2
5.4.2 Low latency .2
5.4.3 Multi-device access capability . .2
5.4.4 Network slicing .2
5.4.5 Carrier aggregation .3
5.4.6 Propagation speed difference between wired and wireless environments .3
5.4.7 Radio frequency spectrum sharing .3
5.4.8 Open radio access network .3
5.4.9 Cloud network .3
6 Role and function model . 3
6.1 Objective.3
6.2 National variations .3
6.3 Basic role model architecture .4
6.3.1 General .4
6.3.2 Smart city sensor data (probe data) .4
6.3.3 3D HD map .4
6.3.4 Digital infrastructure .4
6.3.5 Mobility supporting facility .5
6.3.6 Physical infrastructure platform .5
6.3.7 ITS service providers .5
6.3.8 Communication (communication service provider) .5
6.3.9 Mobility users .5
6.4 Application layer role and functional model for ITS application service .5
6.4.1 General .5
6.4.2 Role and functional model options .6
6.4.3 Certification of service providers .6
6.5 ITS service role and functional model .6
Bibliography . 8

iii
Foreword
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bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
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The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
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patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
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related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 204, Intelligent transport systems.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
Currently, more than 70 % of the world's people live in cities. The proportion of people living in cities is rising
around the world as civilizations develop and congregate around cities where employment opportunity
most arises. Societies develop more innovatively and more rapidly in cities; and cities present better
entertainment opportunities, all adding to their attraction and popularity; hence, the continuing trend. The
Economist magazine recently forecast that by 2045 an extra two billion people will live in urban areas. Due
to the concentration of the population that this causes, various issues arise such as road congestion due to
increase in vehicle population, and environmental pollution due to exhaust gas and tire erosion. This has
been attributed to increases in the number of delivery trucks, taxis, and town centre traffic which is further
exacerbated by obstacles and effective use of urban space due to private ownership of cars (parking lots,
street parking).
It is recognized that there is also road infrastructure deterioration, lack of provision of information on the
use of public transportation, driver shortages, and inconvenience of multimodal fare payments. The action
to improve this situation is urgently needed.
Changing consumer tastes are also calling for new types of infrastructure. Today’s city dwellers, for example,
increasingly shop online and expect ever faster delivery times. To meet their needs, modern urban areas
need the support of last-minute distribution centres, backed by out-of-town warehouses.
In recent years, European studies on the development of mobility integration standards have been active to
solve urban problems. Important key factors are the core architectural elements of smart cities, including
urban intelligent transport system (ITS) sharing of probe data (also called sensor data), connected cars,
automated driving, and communication infrastructure. In addition, current issues have been recognized
with the introduction of the connected car to the real world in respect of privacy protection, the need to
strengthen security measures, big data collection, and processing measures, which are becoming important
considerations.
In terms of effective use of urban space, it is hoped that the introduction of connected cars and automated
driving can significantly reduce the requirements for urban parking lots (redistribution of road space).
If technology can eliminate congestion, city road area usage can also be minimized - reallocated (space
utilization improvement) to improve the city living environment/quality of life. In addition, the environment
around the road will be improved by improving enforcement (e.g. overloaded vehicles). Even in rural areas
it is possible to introduce automated driving robot taxis and other shared mobility that saves labour (and is,
therefore, more affordable) and improves mobility for those who do not drive (e.g. the elderly and those with
disabilities). The communications will play a significant role.
Achieving this requires the realization of various issues. Some examples are as follows:
— cooperation with harmonization of standards such as ISO and existing industry standards;
— recognition of the significance of international standardization (for example, to reduce implementation
costs);
— recognition of the significance of harmonization activities by countries around the world.
As mentioned previously, automated driving mobility is expected to play a significant role both in cities
and in rural areas. The main effects are reduction of traffic accidents, reduction of environmental burden,
elimination of traffic congestion, and realization of effective use of urban space.
ITS technology is a crucial element for realizing ‘smart’ cities; and it is important to clearly understand the
role model of ITS application services when developing standards to achieve these objectives.
This document is intended to be an important guidebook for this objective. Considering the emerging
direction of mobility electrification, automated driving, and the direction of an environmentally friendly
society, incorporating other urban data such as traffic management into the city management will improve
the mobility of urban society. It is important to identify the importance of the communication role that
connects all related actors in the framework with necessary security measures. To consider this, the creation
of a common open role model for communication platforms is important. The platforms will be necessary

v
for the realization of the future mobility services such as automated driving vehicles. A common role model
will be developed for all modes of vehicles, including public transport, general passenger vehicles, and heavy
vehicles. The incorporation of electronic regulation is especially important for automated vehicles, and it is
essential to incorporate it as a core element of urban ITS.
This document describes how ITS data can be presented, interchanged, and used by smart cities by using
communications. This document does not describe smart city use cases for ITS data in detail, nor does it
describe in detail any specific ITS use cases; instead, this document focuses on the generic role model for
data exchange between ITS and smart cities.
ISO 21177 establishes the necessary security and data exchange protocols to provide a ‘secure ITS interface’
(i.e. exchange information with bi-directional protection).
ISO 21177 enables two devices to cooperate in a trusted way (i.e. exchange information in secure application
sessions, and thus only access data or request data that it has the appropriate credentials to access).
Multiple standards have been published regarding communication media, communication security,
networking, ITS Station architecture, and ITS station management. It is true that as these standards are
used for ITS services to cooperate with various related services such as smart city and mobility as a service
(MaaS), the role and functions of communication also have a tendency to be changed.
One of this document’s purposes is to reorganize the role-function model of communication corresponding
to the smart city/MaaS era from the viewpoint of standardization.
This document can contribute to the development of communications standards for the mobility system
service business cases other than system services described within this document.

vi
Technical Report ISO/TR 17732:2024(en)
Intelligent transport systems (ITS) — Communications — ITS
communication role and functional model
1 Scope
This document describes a basic role model of communications
...