Alcatel-Lucent, in partnership with Toyota, QNX and other members of the ng Connect Program, unveiled an LTE Connected Car designed to demonstrate the potential of mobile broadband.
The LTE Connected Car is a virtual "smartphone on wheels." Alcatel-Lucent combined an LTE broadband radio link - which brings cloud-based multimedia services into the car - with an in-vehicle WiFi environment to support integration with traditional home-based services. Alcatel-Lucent also helped manage the integration of the car's wireless networks with the on-board operating system provided by QNX Software Systems, a leading provider of embedded systems. Additionally, the company managed the end-to-end integration of the multimedia services - including mobile, multiplayer video gaming, video on demand and more - that are available in the vehicle. Combined, these capabilities enable this networked concept vehicle to offer a wide range of navigation, personal security, vehicle wellness, and "infotainment" services to drivers and passengers alike.
"The LTE Connected Car concept vehicle highlights just one of the exciting new ways that mobile service providers can potentially expand the range of connected experiences available to their subscribers," said Derek Kuhn, Vice President for Emerging Technology and Media with Alcatel-Lucent. "As we move into the 4G era, where very high-bandwidth, IP-based wireless connections will be widely available, service providers and their customers will be looking for interesting and creative ways to take advantage of the new capabilities these networks offer. Alcatel-Lucent has the vision of what is truly possible, and is dedicated to harnessing the strengths of the most creative companies in every industry to help make this vision a reality in the future."
Some of the services enabled by the LTE connection include:
- Local search and location based services
- GPS augmented by real-time data
- Network-based voice-services
- Vehicle tracking and maintenance services
- Vehicle software downloads for on-board systems
- On-demand entertainment, including video programs for passengers
- Access and remote control of home security systems
- On-demand gaming and social networking for passengers
The LTE Connected Car showcase was developed through collaboration between Alcatel-Lucent, Atlantic Records, QNX Software Systems, Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc., chumby and Kabillion.
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com
http://www.ngconnect.org/lteconnectedcar
