T2X: The Smart Bridge to a V2X Future
By: Robert Karr, CEO
As the global transportation industry sets its sights on a fully connected vehicle ecosystem, the promise of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) connectivity continues to inspire innovation and investment. In this vision of the future, vehicles seamlessly communicate with each other, roadside infrastructure, mobile devices, and more to deliver enhanced safety, operational efficiency, and sustainability.
Despite the momentum behind V2X, the road to its widespread deployment remains complex. Technical challenges like interoperability, evolving communication standards, and stringent cybersecurity protocols are only part of the equation. Perhaps the most significant barriers are the readiness of both physical and digital infrastructure, as well as the financial and logistical burden that comes with large-scale upgrades. Tolling agencies, in particular, are also concerned with potential service disruptions and performance during deployment, as consistent operations are critical to their functionality and revenue.
In this context, transitional approaches offer a necessary framework for gradual adaptation and integration, ensuring stability and continuity throughout the transformation process. Instead of an abrupt leap from today’s systems to a fully realized V2X future, there is an opportunity to build a strategic bridge – one that leverages the infrastructure already in place while enabling gradual, forward-compatible enhancements.
This bridge is what STAR Systems International calls T2X: Transponder-to-Everything.
T2X is not a competing vision to V2X; it is a complementary and scalable framework that allows tolling agencies to extend the value of existing infrastructure and toll systems. At its core, T2X uses widely deployed RFID-based toll transponders as the communication backbone to connect vehicles not only with tolling readers but with a range of digital systems on the roadway.
Unlike conventional V2X approaches that rely on dedicated on-board units (OBUs) and roadside units (RSUs), T2X operates with minimal infrastructure upgrades. Transponders become the central device, reducing the need for costly new equipment. For example, dual-frequency transponders such as the Falcon and Eagle from STAR Systems combine UHF for tolling with NFC (HF) capabilities to interact with mobile devices and other smart infrastructure elements. This hybrid model opens the door to applications in HOT/express lanes, parking management, congestion pricing, and even multimodal transit integration.
More importantly, T2X is vehicle-agnostic; it does not require direct integration with vehicle manufacturers, making it deployable across all vehicle types. This significantly lowers adoption barriers and simplifies implementation across mixed fleets and the variety of vehicles on the road today.
T2X enables agencies to take meaningful steps toward connected mobility without waiting for full market readiness. It also provides a cost-effective way to modernize services in places where retrofitting or overhauling roadside infrastructure is financially impractical.
As the industry continues to pursue comprehensive V2X systems, integrating T2X offers a strategic path forward. T2X and V2X are not mutually exclusive; they complement one another, enabling a balanced and incremental evolution across the transportation landscape. The T2X approach recognizes that RFID transceivers, which are currently deployed across the globe, can serve as transitional touchpoints for future connectivity.
T2X-enabled transponders can coexist with emerging V2X devices, working alongside OBUs and RSUs when needed, or independently when resources are constrained. As newer standards such as SAE J3217 gain traction, STAR Systems aims to drive innovation in supporting current tolling standards as well as evolving communication protocols, maintaining long-term compatibility. This flexibility allows agencies to scale intelligently, bridging current capabilities with future projects.
Faced with global urbanization, rising congestion, and the mounting pressure to modernize infrastructure, agencies must find flexible solutions that bridge today’s reality with tomorrow’s vision. T2X makes this possible as an interim strategy that connects current systems with future technologies.
As the ITS sector evolves, adopting a hybrid approach that integrates legacy systems, transitional technologies, and next-generation platforms may prove to be the most sustainable route. For the tolling industry, progress does not have to mean starting from scratch. With T2X, it is possible to move confidently toward a connected future on a stable foundation that is already in place.