The future of in-car internet
Technology from our sitting room has always made the jump into the car on our driveway. Radio, TV, and phone calls are all available, but now it’s the turn of the internet. Thanks to advances in smartphone technology, it won’t be as expensive as you might think.
If you’re in the market for an Audi, BMW or Mercedes, then depending on the model, you can specify an internet connection, but it’s quickly spreading downwards.
Ford in the UK will offer its American pioneered net-based services next year on the humble Focus, while over in China manufacturers, such as MG owner SAIC, are already logging on drivers of models even cheaper than the Focus. The revolution has begun.
The problem has always been, how to get the signal into the car. A dedicated 3G router is expensive and you’d need a second contract with your mobile phone company to pay for the data.
Newer smartphones, such as the iPhone 4 and Android 2.2 or higher models, can now share their data connection using Wi-Fi, turning the device into a portable hotspot. Tether your phone to the car and you’ve got access to the whole web.
That’s exactly the path that Audi (with a system dubbed Connect), Mercedes (Comand On-line) and Ford (Sync) are taking, linking with your phone to give you information far beyond that delivered by the sat nav. BMW’s route is slightly different, embedding a dedicated SIM card as part of its ConnectedDrive.
However, first and foremost on the minds of both car-makers and lawmakers is the need to make it safe. You shouldn’t be checking Facebook on the move, and at Audi that means restricting what you can see.
“The functions intentionally do not offer the entire spectrum of the internet, but instead present a selection that offers maximum usefulness,” says Ricky Hudi, Audi’s head of electric and electronic development.
So while driving you’re limited to a sophisticated satnav that draws in photographs from both Google Earth and Google Streetview, as well as a far wider array of information about services nearby than the traditional satnav ‘points of interest’, again Google sourced.
Meanwhile on BMW’s system, the driver can email the car all the details about tomorrow’s appointment, including the exact address, plus who to meet and when. This will be welcomed by anyone who’s tried to save time by typing in satnav details with one eye on the traffic lights.
In the future we’ll start to see apps written either by third party software whiz kids or by the car companies themselves to give drivers more information on specific subjects, such as where’s the cheapest petrol.
One difficulty right now is that some mobile phone companies don’t allow tethering.
“This is an issue,” says technology industry analyst for Frost & Sullivan, Vishnu Muralidhara. “Users argue that they’ve paid for unlimited data, so they should be able to use it how they want, while some companies says that data is just for your use, not for multiple uses.”
Vodafone in the UK does allow tethering, but charges an extra £15 a month for 2GB, plus an extra £15 if you go over that. If for example you’re regularly using a phone to stream internet radio via the car’s stereo, you could find that limit busted quite quickly.
It’s also expensive. Audi for example charge A6 buyers £915 for the phone tethering set-up, and you have to bundle that with the satnav at a total cost of £1,500.
Another problem, as any passenger who has tried to use their smartphone on the move will tell you, the signal can be patchy and downloads slow. A solution might be found in the super-fast successor to 3G transmission technology, dubbed LTE. Audi has shown a prototype A8 limo with this tech on board, allowing drivers and passengers very fast transfer rates of about 100 Mbit per second. By contrast, a good 3G connection can only manage 14.4 Mbit per second. And it’s not far away either. As of the beginning of June, mobile connections using LTE had reached one million around the world.
But in-car internet can be made even simpler and cheaper, by cutting out the car element altogether and providing a central dock for the smartphone. This is what Smart has done with its special iPhone cradle which also comes with a downable app with double-size screen buttons for easy and safe information viewing while on the move.
As iPad takes off, soon the carmaker will be able to dump most dash functions altogether and fit a solitary dock for equipment that becomes the dashboard. Why develop expensive screen gadgets when Apple and its army of app creators can step in and sync with your car for a fraction of the price? Concept cars are pointing the way here, for example VW’s Bulli camper van revival, which came with a removeable iPad to control the music and on-line functions. Just don’t lose it.
