Audi unveils in-car 4G LTE wireless broadband
February 4, 2013 by John Day
Filed under Company News, Industry News, News
Audi will deliver connected car services over LTE powered by Qualcomm’s MDM9215 chipset
The 2013 Audi A3 features 4G LTE wireless connectivity powered by Qualcomm Technologies’ second-generation Gobi™ multi-mode 3G/4G LTE chipset (MDM9215). With peak data rates approaching 100 megabits per second, the enhanced “Audi connect” services in the A3 are expected to provide features such as an in-car Wi-Fi hotspot, Internet radio, Web services, and an augmented navigation system that presents street level visual imagery streamed to the vehicle.
“Audi was the first automaker to highlight the potential for LTE connectivity in vehicles at CES 2012 and now becomes the first automaker to announce a commercial model with embedded 4G LTE connectivity,” said Ricky Hudi, chief executive engineer of electrics/electronics, Audi AG. “As a highlight, we will soon be offering a fully integrated LTE link for our Audi connect services in the new Audi A3 in 2013.”
The Gobi MDM9215 chipset will be implemented by Audi in the automotive module. The solution will power Audi connect with 4G LTE speeds and is designed to enable enhancements to real-time navigation, weather and travel information while providing ultra-fast Wi-Fi hotspot access for up to eight devices in the car.
Qualcomm said it has been embedding its Gobi technology with leading automakers for more than a decade and is claims to be the largest supplier of 3G and 4G technologies and chipsets for passenger-car telematics and connected-car services, with tens of millions of connected vehicles in operation worldwide.
“We hope to introduce to automobiles the same 4G LTE connectivity that Qualcomm brought to today’s leading smartphones and mobile computing devices,” said Kanwalinder Singh, senior vice president of business development, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “The capabilities of the MDM9215 chipset allows Audi to define a new in-car media experience, including viewing and interacting with content on the head unit as well as on passengers’ own Wi-Fi-connected smartphones and tablets, all at 4G LTE speeds.”
Audi gains Nevada autonomous vehicle permit
The State of Nevada issued to Audi the second license allowing the testing of autonomous vehicles on the state’s public roads. The first license went to Google. Audi is the first automaker to obtain the permit.
In 2010 the Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak research car, developed jointly by the Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Lab in Silicon Valley and Stanford University, autonomously completed the 156-turn, 12.42-mile Pikes Peak Hill Climb course in Colorado in 27 minutes.
Audi defines autonomous driving capabilities in terms of piloted parking and piloted driving. Audi envisions motorists allowing the car to handle mundane stop-and-go driving conditions while still being able to take control of the car when needed. In this way, the technology is similar to auto-pilot systems found on jetliners. Piloted parking would let future Audi models park safely in tight spaces without a driver at the wheel.
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