Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile
    • Networking

    AT&T, With Audi Deal, to Begin Connecting Cars to Mobile Share Plans

    Written by

    Michelle Maisto
    Published January 10, 2014
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      AT&T’s President of Emerging Enterprises and Partnerships Organization Glenn Lurie announced on the opening day of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that AT&T plans to “lead the future of the connected car.”

      AT&T then went on to show how it intends to do this.

      It announced the creation of a connected car mobile platform, AT&T Drive, and of a 5,000-square-foot hands-on innovation center in Atlanta, the AT&T Drive Studio. And then it shared that it has signed deals with two automakers, Tesla and Audi. In the case of the latter, AT&T will enter new territory, for the first time allowing customers to add their cars to their Mobile Share plans, essentially treating the Audi A3 like another device.

      The 2015 Audi A3 sedan will launch with the latest version of Audi Connect, a solution that offers a WiFi connection to up to eight passenger devices and provides the driver, via a display that neatly folds out of the dash, access to information that includes Google Earth 3D satellite imagery; weather information; more than 7,000 online radio stations; guidance on where to find the cheapest gas prices; and read-aloud news headlines and Facebook and Twitter alerts.

      Audi Connect isn’t new. Last April Audi began offering in-car WiFi over the T-Mobile network for potentially as little as $15 a month. With the new A3, AT&T, drivers now have the option of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) speeds.

      “Offering drivers a 4G LTE connection will provide the fastest in-vehicle connection available and significantly enhance the infotainment experience,” Scott Keogh, president of Audi of America, said in a Jan. 6 statement.

      AT&T’s Lurie added that the partnership and AT&T’s “fastest and most reliable LTE network” will allow the pair to “drastically improve the in-car experience.”

      (Last year, when AT&T signed a deal to put LTE in GM vehicles in 2014, GM’s Global Connected Consumer division president said LTE in cars will enhance “virtually every aspect of the driving and riding experience.”)

      The details of the Tesla deal are that as part of a “multi-year” agreement, AT&T will power Tesla’s “remote engine diagnostics, telematics and industry-leading infotainment features such as Internet radio, Web browsing, live traffic, weather and navigation, all accessed through the 17-inch touch-screen,” the pair said in a Jan. 7 statement.

      While Tesla will pick up the tab for its car’s connectivity features, Audi is letting drivers make the call. People who purchase a new vehicle with Audi Connect will receive a free six-month trial period that includes access to all services—WiFi and LTE. After the trial, owners of the A3 can choose to purchase the whole package, just WiFi or a data plan from AT&T.

      Anupam Malhotra, senior manager of Connected Vehicles at Audi of America, told eWEEK that AT&T data plans and pricing information are expected to be announced in the “near future.” Additionally, he said, “Audi and AT&T will launch a Mobile Share data plan in the summer of 2014 that will allow the customer to add their vehicle data plan to an existing AT&T smartphone or tablet data plan.”

      How much data a customer or a family needs (or realistically uses) is already a point of concern or frustration in some families, and connectivity in the car is likely to raise some new questions. When does it make sense to use LTE instead of WiFi? How will data use in the car—whether for turn-by-turn driving directions or letting a backseat passenger pass the ride by watching videos—affect a phone bill?

      Malhotra said such concerns “will be addressed.” But for now, he added, all Audi can say is that “AT&T data plans and pricing information are expected to be announced in the near future.”

      As for whom to call when there’s an issue, Malhotra said there will be a single help line, connecting customers to both Audi and AT&T.

      Michelle Maisto
      Michelle Maisto
      Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade, beginning with Knowledge Management, Field Force Automation and eCRM, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine. She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×