As part of a partnership with Verizon, Audi plans to deliver 5G connection to its automobiles in 2024. Together, the 5G Ultra Wideband connectivity, will enable new driver-assist capabilities as well as a wide range of innovations for the automated driving of the future.
The built-in technology will let a car connect to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, which will let it use advanced driving features, connect to other services, and have blazing-fast in-car Wi-Fi as well as news and entertainment.
This new agreement will provide higher network speeds to future model vehicles, which have more sophisticated software requirements than analog cars of the past. It also comes at a time when automobile manufacturers are exploring new technologies, such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, that have the potential to improve safety and driving quality in the future.
As announced by Audi and Verizon, the better connectivity will open the way for new features such as “augmented mobile services, new driver-assistance capabilities, and connectivity-enabled innovations for the automated future of driving.”
Since the introduction of the Audi A3 sedan in 2015, the company has taken pride in being one of the first automakers to offer in-vehicle Wi-Fi as well as 4G LTE connectivity. “We will be among the first to offer our customers in the United States the next generation of connectivity,” said Filip Brabec, senior vice president of product planning at Audi of America, in a statement.
Also among the first auto companies to test with V2X communication, Audi demonstrated a novel feature that allows its cars to connect with an urban traffic system in order to make intelligent forecasts about traffic conditions. “V2I communication in particular,” Audi says, “adds a high-tech shine to the instrument panel while also assisting sales representatives in upselling consumers on the subscription packages required to access new features”.
This is definitely not the first time a car company has teamed up with a telco to provide 5G technology service. GM and AT&T announced a partnership in 2021 to offer 5G connectivity to Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles by 2024. Recently, Malaysia signed its own 5G automotive agreement with Proton and Maxis, though the country is yet to employ 5G in the vehicles themselves.
