4G/LTE broadband connectivity for the car
Phil Ling
1/10/2011 10:07 AM EST
HARMAN and Sierra Wireless have underlined their commitment to bring automotive customers the first 4G broadband connectivity.
HARMAN will support Sierra Wireless AirPrime intelligent embedded modules for LTE networks to offer robust in-vehicle wireless connectivity enabling high bandwidth telematics, navigation, and online infotainment applications.
The AirPrime modules also leverage broadly adopted applications programming interfaces (APIs) to encourage a growing ecosystem of software providers’ solutions for connectivity, location, and manageability.
The solution should provide wireless data access at download speeds of up to 100Mbps and upload speeds up to 50Mbps on LTE networks, providing a multi-faceted media, office and online experience within the vehicle.
Service expected include driver enhancements, such as real-time mapping and traffic updates, to dynamic loaded applications, content, gaming, streaming video and full internet access that can be shared among multiple devices.
According to automotive researchers Strategy Analytics, 70% of vehicles produced globally in 2009 have some form of connectivity solution and the number is expected to increase to 95% by 2012.
It comes at a time when consumers are rapidly adapting to lifestyles where multi-featured smart-phones and handsets are the norm, believes HARMAN, who is working on solutions to address vehicle-centric demand for wirelessly-enabled, mobile broadband solutions and applications.
In addition to its AirPrime collaboration with Sierra Wireless, HARMAN helped lead the expansion of the ngConnect Program to China in July 2010, with a public demonstration of an LTE Connected Car during the Shanghai World Expo.
This story originally appeared on EE Times Europe.
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