More Vehicles Will Be Rolling off Assembly Lines With Embedded 5G

As 5G infrastructure continues to expand to reach more phones, homes and businesses, carriers and automakers are also planning to embed the technology in a growing number of vehicles. 

Plans to equip vehicles on the assembly line with the hardware needed to connect to 5G have been announced by Verizon Business and Audi of America, LG and an unnamed European automaker, and AT&T and General Motors (GM). 

“Audi drivers will be among the first in the world to experience a new generation of automobiles, one in which their car is both a 5G mobile device and a vehicle,” Verizon Business CEO Tami Erwin said in a press release. 

Delivering Connected Services 

Both Audi and GM expect to begin adding embedded 5G connectivity to select models in the United States in the 2024 model year. 

“This rollout is part of GM and AT&T’s broad strategy to launch the world’s largest fleet of 5G-enabled vehicles and the culmination of a two-year collaboration, including test-driving connected vehicles in GM’s 5G proving grounds in Milford, Michigan,” AT&T said in an August 2021 press release. 

When announcing these plans, the three carriers said the faster speeds and lower latency of 5G will help deliver connected services, new driver-assistance features and, in the future, automation. 

Music and video for passengers will be improved as 5G will enable downloads or streaming with greater speed and higher quality. 

Infotainment, navigation and voice services will be enhanced with high-definition and 3D mapping and video, cloud-based user profiles and mobile retail capabilities. 

Firmware and software updates will be delivered over the air to keep in-vehicle technology up-to-date and to add features that were not previously available. While these are already delivered to some vehicles via previous-generation connectivity, AT&T said 5G will make these over-the-air updates faster, more reliable and secure. 

Enabling Future Mobility 

In the future, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology is expected to enable vehicles to “talk” to other vehicles and connected infrastructure in order to enhance safety and facilitate automated vehicles. For example, the companies explain, C-V2X will enable alerts to drivers about hazards that are not within their field of vision. 

“An essential component in autonomous vehicles, V2X enables vehicles to communicate in real-time with other vehicles, nearby pedestrians and infrastructure to create a safer environment for all,” LG said in a press release. 

AT&T added that 5G networks will also enable future mobility services such as eCommerce, smart city and vehicle-to-electric grid. 

Building Upon Current Offerings 

These recently announced partnerships and the new 5G technology build upon the companies’ current offerings. For example, Audi began offering its customers in-vehicle Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connectivity in its 2015 A3. 

AT&T and GM launched their in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspots in 2014 and added WarnerMedia’s streaming media content in 2020. In addition, GM offers OnStar and Connected Services such as navigation to more than 16 million customers in the U.S. and Canada. 

AT&T reports that some older GM vehicles will be able to benefit from 4G LTE infrastructure improvements too. The company reports that vehicles from the 2019 model year and newer that are equipped with 4G LTE will experience faster connectivity speeds than they do now.