automotive

GM Partners WIth AT&T To Increase 5G Connectivity In Vehicles

General Motors and AT&T are partnering with the goal of bringing 5G cellular connectivity to millions of GM vehicles over the next decade in the United States, starting in 2023. 

The two companies aim to set the benchmark for automotive connectivity with a fifth-generation cellular network architecture to meet the needs of an all-electric and autonomous future. GM has stated it will launch 30 new EVs globally by the end of 2025 and will stop producing gas cars in 2035.

Additionally, to support GM’s next-generation connected vehicle systems, AT&T and Microsoft are bringing together the 5G network with Microsoft’s scalable and secure cloud services.

Network enhancements will include improved roadway-centric coverage; faster music and video downloads with higher quality; faster, more reliable, and secure over-the-air software updates; and faster navigation, mapping and voice services.

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5G connectivity will first be available in select model year 2024 vehicles. Additionally, through GM’s fifth generation network, current 4G LTE-equipped model year 2019 and newer vehicles will experience faster connectivity speeds and many of the same performance benefits of future 5G-equipped vehicles. 

Current U.S. Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac owners with 4G LTE-capable model year 2019 and newer vehicles can migrate to the new network infrastructure once available.

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 at GM’s 5G proving grounds in Milford, Michigan.

GM says the network improvements will be foundational for the future of its growing over-the-air update strategy, an element of the automaker’s overall innovation and growth plan.

AT&T says it invested more than $110 billion in its wireless and wireline networks from 2016 to 2020.

Since the launch of 4G LTE in 2014, GM owners have used more than 171 million gigabytes of data across its brands, which is equivalent to nearly 5.7 billion hours of music streamed or more than 716 million hours of streaming video.

AT&T and GM have working together since 2014 when they partnered to launch in-vehicle WiFi  hotspots. The companies added WarnerMedia's library of streaming premium content in 2020.

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