Third Party Onboarding
This document is your guide to connect to the Mobilidata ecosystem, each step comes with an explanation. If something remains unclear, please reach out to us.
Bart Lowyck (Imec) is the process owner on Mobilidata side:
- Bart Lowyck: bart.lowyck@imec.be
- Backup to be determined, generic contact formular: Mobilidata
To simplify the process, the connection type has been split up in 3 different types. If anything is unclear, please reach out to your process owner.
Every connecting party has to set up a processor agreement ('verwerkersovereenkomst') with AWV in order to process the gained data in an orderly and legal way. A model for such an agreement can be obtained at the Mobilidata program.
Step 1: Preparations and collaboration contracting
A. Expression of interest
Tell us who you are and what you would like to get out of the Mobilidata connection. If still needed, we can help you to determine the scope of use cases you would need connection to.
Access is granted use case per use case. Go to the use case overview to see which use cases are available and could be of interest for you.
On our side we would like to get to know your organization and type of business to do a check that your business matches the Mobilidata goals of improving road safety, traffic throughput and reducing emissions. General company information and a small company introduction, your website, your contact personal data… is what we require for this.
B. Collaboration contract
After reading the documentation and expressing your interest, you will have a clear understanding of what Mobilidata is and what it can do for you. Thus, the collaboration contract is the next step.
Mobilidata connection is free of charge, but we do need a set of mutually agreed clauses and conditions so both parties clearly understand their rights and obligations.
Depending on the use cases you want to connect and the type of cooperation for those use cases, 3 options arise (select to see more):
- READ ONLY
- READ & WRITE
- READ & WRITE ITLC
This is the most simple type of connection. You only need to listen to the Mobilidata interchange. You will not provide any information in return. Mobilidata is a cooperative ecosystem, hence this is the least desirable type of contract. But it can be a good start.
This is the most common type of connection. You will listen to the Mobilidata interchange and provide information as well. This is the most desirable type of contract.
This is the most complex type of connection. You will interact with the intelligent traffic light controllers and have direct influence on traffic. Thus additional steps for safe functionality are needed.
Your selection of connection type will be consistent throughout this entire page.
Combinations of these 3 options are possible (example: iTLC + read only all the other use cases). In that case read both steps, and you will see you can skip some. Ask your process owner if there is something unclear.
A formal collaboration contract with all necessary addenda depending on the type of connections covering technical/GDPR topics/Communication/… is prepared, reviewed, and signed by both parties before Step 2 can start.
Step 2: Technical connection process initiation
After the collaboration contract is signed, the technical connection process can start. This process is slightly different for each type of connection. Select the type of connection you are interested in to see the exact steps.
A. Publisher ID and Prefix Service Provider
If you are going to publish information to the Mobilidata Interchange, you will need a unique Publisher ID as specified in the C-Roads specifications. For iTLC interaction, there is also a Prefix Service Provider needed as specified in the CROW specifications.
Publisher ID
- READ ONLY
- READ & WRITE
- READ & WRITE ITLC
Not applicable
For Publisher ID’s, the ‘CS1’ issuer identifiers are used and they are generated/managed by NRA’s -national registration authorities. This usually is your local norm-institute. An overview of currently certified CS1 issuers per country can be found here .
The NRA for Belgium is NBN. Go to this webpage to download a CS1 registration request form and do the request.
After applying (and paying the registration fee) you will receive an email with your publisher ID from NBN. This process takes 2 upto 4 weeks
The Publisher ID has this form for Belgium BE000xx. NBN will deliver the number part in binary form, make sure to transform it to decimal format before using it.
For Publisher ID’s, the ‘CS1’ issuer identifiers are used and they are generated/managed by NRA’s -national registration authorities. This usually is your local norm-institute. An overview of currently certified CS1 issuers per country can be found here .
The NRA for Belgium is NBN. Go to this webpage to download a CS1 registration request form and do the request.
After applying (and paying the registration fee) you will receive an email with your publisher ID from NBN. This process takes 2 upto 4 weeks
The Publisher ID has this form for Belgium BE000xx. NBN will deliver the number part in binary form, make sure to transform it to decimal format before using it.
Prefix Service Provider
- READ ONLY
- READ & WRITE
- READ & WRITE ITLC
Not applicable
Not applicable
The CROW specification, used for Mobilidata iTLC use cases, requires a unique prefix service provider to use in your CAM and SREM messages.
The prefix service provider are the first 6 bits in the stationID in the message. More explanation can be found in the CAM and SREM message documentation.
Monotch is responsible for keeping a central list of these ID’s. Request your ID at the Monotch service desk. (or let your Mobilidata process owner do this for you)
B. Testbed
Before interacting with one of the intelligent Traffic Lights use cases, either for standard or special vehicles or pedestrians/byciclists, interaction with the testbed is mandatory. The testbed is a simulation environment that allows you to test your application against the Mobilidata interchange. This is a good way to get to know the Mobilidata interchange and to test your application before going live. At the moment, only intelligent Trafficlight test modules are present, other functionality will follow.
Practice makes perfect - before connecting to traffic lights on-street you will need to prove that you are up to this job by making a connection with our testbed and running all necessary (relevant) tests.
Additional information about the testbd can be found at: Testbed and test process (Dutch)
IP whitelisting
To connect with the MI of the testbeds (AMQP header variable: dtap=testbed), your IP address needs to get whitelisted. To do this, you need to send an email to the Mobilidata servicedesk, operated by Be-Mobile
The email to servicedesk@be-mobile.com must contain:
- Subject: company name wants to connect to the Mobilidata interchange
- Which use cases do you need (use case list)
- Public static IP address for all possible connections
- Your PublisherID
The servicedesk will whitelist your IP address (The servicedesk will reply within approximately 2 weeks) and now you can connect to the testbed:
The Testbed certification process
A testbed environment has been set up where interaction with a full setup of iTLC can be tested. Before interacting with the real iTLC in the streets, a certificate must be achieved in the testbeds. More information can be found on the documentation of the testbeds. iVRI Lab
In the testbeds you can choose to have your resources connected via VPN or embed them in the testbeds. For both processes a resource manager component is to be set up in the testbeds. More information can be found in the docs of the testbeds.
C. SSL-certificate
To make a connection to the Mobilidata interchange on any environment (acceptance/production), a certificate signing request (CSR) is required according to international C-ROADS TLS-SSL specifications. It serves the secured identification process when connecting to Mobilidata. The Certificate Authority in Mobilidata is the Flemish administration.
This (dutch only) document illustrates how to generate a CSR: https://assets.vlaanderen.be/image/upload/v1628695506/Handleiding_CSR_sf7f0q.pdf
In the CSR proces you need a FQDN – fully qualified domain name (also known as CN -common name), which you can choose based upon the logic:
<company>-service-provider-production.mobilidata.vlaanderen.be
- company -- 'Your short company name'
FQDN will be automatically send to Be-Mobile and AWV. When you have your CSR ready, email it to your process owner. The process owner will provide you with the certificate in return as soon as possible (This could take 2 weeks).
The system of the Flemish administration cannot handle non-BE country codes. So be sure to use BE as country code in the CSR.
D. Connection setup
The next step is setting up the actual connection.
The request to set up the connection can be sent by email to the Mobilidata servicedesk, operated by Be-Mobile (servicedesk@be-mobile.com). The servicedesk will reply within approximately 2 weeks.
The MI is only reachable for whitelisted IP addresses. This means that you need a static IP address and communicate it to us, so it can be whitelisted. Make sure to give us the public IP address of your environment. (thus NOT private ranges like 10.xxx or 192.xxx or 172.xxx)
- READ ONLY
- READ & WRITE
- READ & WRITE ITLC
This email must contain:
- Subject: company name wants to connect to the Mobilidata interchange
- Which use cases do you need (ISO Causecode), and/or static API usage
- Common name = FQDN (same as you use in the CSR)
- Short description of the reason for connection
- Public static IP address for all possible connections
This email must contain:
- Subject: company name wants to connect to the Mobilidata interchange
- Which use cases do you need (ISO Causecode), and/or static API usage
- Common name = FQDN (same as you use in the CSR)
- Short description of the reason for connection
- Public static IP address for all possible connections
- PublisherID
This email must contain:
- Subject: company name wants to connect to the Mobilidata interchange
- Which use cases do you need (ISO Causecode), and/or static API usage
- Common name = FQDN (same as you use in the CSR)
- Short description of the reason for connection
- Public static IP address for all possible connections
- PublisherID
Once you are whitelisted and the configuration setup is made in the MI, in the tutorial section you will find a technical guide on how to connect and send and receive messages.