TMC Services Today

Delivering a TMC service means putting all of the elements of the chain into place. This task includes creating a national database of TMC locations, ensuring that TMC receivers are available in the marketplace, and building the links to sources of real-time traffic information. Delivery also requires setting up a service centre to validate, integrate and encode the traffic data, furnishing the data to a broadcaster, and finally, transmitting the TMC messages. Despite this complexity, the number of TMC services is growing rapidly to serve the expanding base of TMC-equipped vehicles.

Public and Commercial Services
TMC traffic message services are now operational in most European countries and North America. Some European services are free and supply alerts of incidents, traffic congestion and bad weather. A growing number of commercial TMC Services are also available, which offer a wider range of information than ever before and can target specific user groups. More and more new cars include an optional TMC-enabled navigation system, complete with TMC service contract where applicable.

Services in Europe
TMC Services are well established across Europe. Free services form a network covering nearly all of Europe. Each service is transmitted by a national, regional or local broadcaster, and by agreement, national and international service providers broadcast cross-border messages for long-distance/international drivers. Some countries have both free and commercial services, and some have only commercial services.

Services Worldwide

Services are now also in place in America, will launch imminently in Australia, have been demonstrated in China and are under development for a number of other countries, making TMC a truly global technology.

An overview of the service coverage is shown in the map below. Click on a region or country in the map or the table to find out more about the TMC services and service providers there.

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