Audi is planning to bring 5G connectivity to vehicles from 2024 as it joins forces with Verizon. This will ensure better connectivity for its vehicles, enhanced navigation, and faster music and video streaming capabilities. This is to address the advanced software needs of analog cars in the past.
It’s the latest deal to bring faster network speeds to new model vehicles with more advanced software needs than analog cars of the past. It also comes as car companies explore new technologies, such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, that could enhance safety and drive quality in the future.
According to Audi and Verizon, the plan is to bring the 5G Ultra-Wideband technology to Audi’s lineup. This kind of advanced connectivity will set a path for features like “augmented mobile services, new driver-assistance features, and connectivity-enabled innovations for the automated future of driving,”
Audi is one of the first automakers to bring in-vehicle Wi-Fi, as well as 4G LTE connectivity, starting with the Audi A3 sedan in 2015. senior VP of product planning at Audi of America, Filip Brabec said in a statement, “We will be among the first to bring the next generation of connectivity to our customers in the US,”
5G connectivity
The fifth generation of cellular technology has the potential to be 100 times faster than the current 4G LTE. In the smartphone industry, the 5G connectivity talks are ongoing. The infrastructure is taking longer to build than originally expected, and most smartphones that claim to use 5G aren’t any faster than 4G.
Also, Audi was one of the first companies to experiment with V2X communication. It demonstrated a new feature that can make its cars communicate with a municipal traffic system. It makes intelligent predictions about traffic conditions. Furthermore, according to the company, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, in particular, brings a high-tech sheen to the instrument panel. And it helps upsell customers on the subscription packages required to access new features.
However, the auto industry was slow to develop V2X technology, and the rollout was being released bit by bit. Mercedes installed V2V equipment in both the 2017 E-Class and 2018 S-Class. General Motors also introduced V2V in the Cadillac CTS in 2017. Later, many automakers began looking closely at a newer technology called cellular V2X (C-V2X), using existing cell networks to send communications.
When cars are designed to talk with each other, they do it by exchanging data wirelessly using an unlicensed spectrum called the Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) band, which uses technology similar to Wi-Fi.
Audi is ready to collaborate “with state departments of transportation, infrastructure providers, and technology providers to develop direct C-V2X communication that can protect vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, school children, road maintenance crews, and cyclists.”
