4G Cars – You Car Will Get a Better Mobile Connection Than Your Phone
4G connected cars have been a big thing at tradeshow CES in Las Vegas, with car companies falling over themselves to demonstrate how mobile broadband internet access is a coming reality in cars.
While most concept cars use a standard 4G mobile phone connection to stream videos, traffic info and maps to cars, Alcatel-Lucent has been showcasing a custom Toyota Prius with its own built-in 4G / LTE mobile connection, effectively turning the Toyota into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.
Speeds quoted have been five times that of 3G – at almost 15 Mbps. On occasion, speeds have hit 56 Mbps download and 25 Mbps upload.
Mobile games are also on the cards. The founder of Game company GameStreamer said, “People passionately enjoy games and are already actively playing them through Internet connected devices such as PC’s, consoles and mobile phones. We felt enabling video games in a connected car was a natural addition to these devices and one game players will welcome with open arms.”
But let’s hope that doesn’t happen while they’re driving :-)
Although the 4G car remains only a concept for now, Alcatel-Lucent is busy building the Verizon 4G network – aiming to have the entire United States covered by 2013.
The 4G Car
Soon the must-have option for new cars won’t be a sunroof or leather seats – it will be ultra high-speed, high-bandwidth 4G connectivity. At least, that’s the claim of NG Connect, a consortium of companies that recently showcased a prototype Toyota car with 4G internet.
Led by Alcatel-Lucent, the group also included names like Atlantic Records. The aim is to deliver unlimited music, video, maps, etc. to moving cars, via 4G. It could even be used to send information from shock sensors to help city authorities know where to repair potholes.
The Toyota prototype comes soon after the Mercedes-Benz 4G car. The first commercial 4G car is expected to hit the roads in 2012.
