AT&T and General Motors have just announced plans to bring LTE to a wide range of its cars starting in 2014. The partnership will enable GM to provide a whole host of new connected car services through its subsidiary, OnStar, across models from Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. The connectivity will be built in at a basic level of the car, integrated into the electrical system and wired to an external antenna to provide better coverage and speeds. Some car models -- usually in the higher end -- have had this functionality for some time, but not on the wide scale that GM is targeting.
GM envisions streaming media content available in back seat entertainment devices, real-time navigation updates and application downloads for infotainment systems. The embedded LTE connection will not only bring a whole host of integrated car services online, but also provide Wifi hotspot functionality for other devices that users bring with them to the car. Hopefully as this service hits the main stream other car makers can follow suit.
