AT&T and Vodafone in connected car deals

TeliaSonera brings connected car solutionTelecom network operators AT&T and Vodafone today said they would support the launch of OnStar’s connected service for Opel and Vauxhall OnStar in select European countries.

AT&T’s virtual packet core network and Vodafone Wi-Fi serves as a platform for future innovation in safety, security, diagnostics and entertainment across Europe.

In Europe, the OnStar’s Wi-Fi 4G LTE service, enabled by Vodafone, is available in all new Opel and Vauxhall passenger vehicles.

OnStar’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi connection is already available in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The mobile hotspot will support up to 7 mobile devices.

Opel and Vauxhall OnStar features also include emergency services, such as roadside assistance and automatic crash response, stolen vehicle assistance, vehicle diagnostics and destination download. There’s a dedicated OnStar smartphone app for services such as remote door unlock.

Chris Penrose, senior vice president, Internet of Things, AT&T Mobility, said: “One of the first areas to benefit from AT&T’s transformation to software-based architecture is the connected car. To support services in Europe, we already have local data centers in Germany, United Kingdom, France, Austria, Spain and Italy.”

Meanwhile, AT&T and Porsche Cars North America would bring high speed Internet to select 2017 models in the U.S.

AT&T will offer wireless connectivity on AT&T’s 4G LTE network in certain 2017 Porsche Macan, Boxter and 911 models. Porsche’s Connect Plus services, powered by AT&T, will include a Wi-Fi hot spot, navigation, news and weather alerts and other infotainment services. Customers will be able to connect up to 5 devices to the hot spot.

The cost for connecting Porsche vehicles equipped with Connect Plus to an existing Mobile Share Value plan is a $10 access charge per month.

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