January 5, 2007

Wireless broadband for car drivers

by Jan Harris

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Autonet Mobile has announced a new wireless service for vehicles, which provides in-car interet connectivity via WiFi Hotspot technology in the USA. The company plans to launch the technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 8.

Autonet Mobile will offer the service - the first always-on broadband Internet service for cars - through leading car rental company, Avis Rent-A-Car System. It is expected that Autonet will provide a rolling Wi-Fi hot spot to Avis customers by the end of the first quarter.

Under the expected agreement, Avis will provide motorists with a device that plugs into a car’s power supply and delivers a high-speed Internet connection for laptops and other WiFi-enabled electronic devices for $10.95 a day. The device utilises the 3G cellular network and will work across 95% of the USA.

The service will initially be focused on business travellers, but it is expected that it will be extended to families travelling with children. The service is intended for use by passengers, not drivers, as operating the WiFi hotspot technology while driving would be unsafe and would contravene traffic regulations. Avis will require renters to agree not to hold it liable for accidents resulting from irresponsible use.

Although the idea of driving and using the internet may initially raise initial horrorof distracted drivers, there are surely plenty of applications where this is going to be useful. For example, a number of cars already have GPS systems installed in them, and always-on broadband is likely to expand on the services available for drivers.

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Story link: Wireless broadband for car drivers

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