Soon the must-have option for new cars won't be a sunroof or leather seats—it will be ultra high-speed, high-bandwidth connectivity that revolutionizes the in-vehicle experience for drivers and passengers. Within the LTE Connected Car, consumers will be able to access network- and cloud-based applications that put on-demand entertainment, infotainment, diagnostics, navigation and much more at their fingertips.
It all started with a simple question. What happens if you connect a car to an ultra high-speed mobile network? Several innovative companies in very different industries were asking this same question. And when the ng Connect Program brought them together, the LTE Connected Car Service Concept was born.
And consumers are very interested! A recent Market Advantage study* of American and European consumers indicated that they are willing to pay for these innovative social, entertainment and business applications - if they are easy to use and offer a high quality of service. Navigation reigns as most the desired feature overall with Enhanced GPS and Maintenance Tracking consistently preferred applications across all consumer segments in the United States. Sixty percent of respondents in Europe found the service appealing. Across both geographies, the appeal of the LTE Connected Car was strongest among the 'Under 35' age group.
Videos
Primary Research
LTE Connected Car Study in EMEA
Want more information?
To learn more about the LTE Connected Car Service Concept or to book a media interview, please e-mail us at info@ngconnect.org
*In 2009, Alcatel-Lucent conducted two studies that researched consumer demand and willingness to pay for the Connected Car among more than 9000 consumers in the United States and Europe. This research is part of a broader initiative by the Alcatel-Lucent Market Advantage team to characterize the impact and potential benefits of telecommunications services globally. The Market Advantage program is an exclusive resource, working with service providers to analyze and identify new market opportunities, drive demand with effective marketing programs and speed the development of profitable new services. For more information on these studies or how Alcatel-Lucent is working with service providers and stakeholders globally to better understand consumer needs, please visit www.alcatel-lucent.com/map.
Automotive Partner
The Connected Car concept vehicle is built upon the base of a 2010 Toyota Prius. The Toyota Prius is one of the leading hybrid electric mid-size cars in the United States. According to the US EPA in 2007, the 2008 Prius was named the most fuel-efficient car sold in the US. The EPA and California Air Resources Board also rate the Prius as among the cleanest vehicles sold in the US based on non-CO2 emissions.
Technology Partners
LTE radio and patent pending antennae technology from Alcatel-Lucent support new advances in in-vehicle connectivity. The company's multi-screen video solution provides streaming video applications to four screens simultaneously. The LTE Connected Car system architecture puts the intelligence and computing capability in the network. Alcatel-Lucent’s historic Bell Labs invented key standards for MiMo and OFDM which support today’s smart antennae and emerging LTE networks.
QNX Software Systems provided the software foundation for the LTE Connected Car including the operating system, touchscreen user interfaces, media players for YouTube and Pandora, navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity, multimedia playback, handsfree integration, games, app store, and virtual mechanic. All components are based on the QNX CAR application platform.
Media and Content Partners
Fanbase from Atlantic Records allows music fans to directly connect to their favorite artists, streamed into the LTE Connected Car. Users can chat and download the latest music, news, photos and videos from the comfort of the backseat.
chumby offers more than 1,500 applications, ranging from news and entertainment to social networks, videos, music, sports and more from high profile media partners. chumby also offers user generated content, thousands of Internet radio stations, and the ability to share photos, e-cards and more with family and friends.
The Kids VoD Service (on-demand kids’ content) from Kabillion provides high quality entertainment for young passengers in the LTE Connected Car. Kabillion’s online entertainment portal also allows kids to play games and create their own personal avatars.
Want more information?
To learn more about the LTE Connected Car Service Concept or to book a media interview, please e-mail us at info@ngconnect.org
ng Connect's Service Concept for the LTE Connected Car showcases within a fully functioning vehicle a range of personalized consumer experiences that transform the vehicle into a seamless extension of the always-on network.
The LTE Connected Car Service Concept is based on new services and business models. These are enabled by ultra-high bandwidth, always-on network connectivity, cloud computing and cloud storage, and value-added network assets such as content management, location services, presence, identity, security, billing and innovative in-vehicle hardware and software systems.
An Exciting New Mobile Platform
The LTE Connected Car creates an entirely new mobile platform by bringing together leading automotive makers, network operators, component suppliers and content providers. Application developers and content providers can extend existing services to the LTE Connected Car, and they can also create a whole new class of vehicle-centric and travel-centric applications and services. These include remote maintenance (such as vehicle software and application upgrades), safety and mechanical telematics, and enhanced navigation, including detailed traffic and weather information.
What do you like best about the LTE Connected Car?
"...the tight integration to the web and that when I am in the car I am also, essentially, still at home...virtual mechanic would be incredible. I like ...[the] fact that it is tightly integrated and not simply a collection of add-ons."
– respondent from the United States*
"...the fact that the car 'does' everything for the driver - scheduling test check,
tele-mechanic, etc."
– respondent from Poland*
Videos
Check out the APAC LTE Connected Car on YouTube
Launch of LTE Connected Car
in Europe
Journalist Checks out
LTE Connected Car
Primary Research
LTE Connected Car Study in EMEA
"The automotive industry must explore new ways to generate consumer interest… Web-based applications and services specifically designed to enhance the driving and ownership experience … represent a significant chance to accomplish this."
Thilo Koslowski, Research Vice President, Gartner Inc.
Want more information?
To learn more about the LTE Connected Car Service Concept or to book a media interview, please e-mail us at info@ngconnect.org
*In 2009, Alcatel-Lucent conducted two studies that researched consumer demand and willingness to pay for the Connected Car among more than 9000 consumers in the United States and Europe. This research is part of a broader initiative by the Alcatel-Lucent Market Advantage team to characterize the impact and potential benefits of telecommunications services globally. The Market Advantage program is an exclusive resource, working with service providers to analyze and identify new market opportunities, drive demand with effective marketing programs and speed the development of profitable new services. For more information on these studies or how Alcatel-Lucent is working with service providers and stakeholders globally to better understand consumer needs, please visit www.alcatel-lucent.com/map.
Media Coverage
January, 2010
Fred Dawson, ScreenPlays (pp 14-15)
Connected Car, Other Apps Signal 4G Will Reshape Business Models
November 10, 2009
M2M Magazine
"LTE on Wheels"
TWICE
"Sirius Needs To Address Internet Radio"
Mention of Connected Car in article about internet radio
Computing Networks
"LTE Connected Car redefines the 'mobile' in mobile broadband (video)"
November 9, 2009
Stuff Magazine
"ng Connect turns Prius into living room"
TMCnet
"Alcatel-Lucent, ng Connect members Partner to Launch 'LTE Connected Car' Concept Vehicle"
NJ Biz
"Evolution car considered ‘smartphone on wheels’"
Next Gen Phone
"LTE Connected Automobile redefines the ‘mobile’ in mobile broadband"
November 6, 2009
CNNMoney.com
"Future ride pimped with Internet"
Also the featured technology story: http://money.cnn.com/video/
Scientific American
"Hot Spot Hot Rod: The Internet Invades the Automobile"
Also featured on the home page: http://www.scientificamerican.com/
Engadget
"LTE Connected Car redefines the 'mobile' in mobile broadband (video)"
Reposted:
A Review
"LTE Connected Car: 4G Mobile Broadband and Cloud Facilities"
AKIHABARA News
"Toyota partnering for LTE Connected Car Concept Vehicle"
Product Reviews News
"LTE Connected Car: 4G Mobile Broadband and Cloud Facilities"
Ubergizmo
"LTE Connected Car of The Future"
Broadband Genie
"Mobile broadband gets more mobile with prototype LTE car"
TelecomPaper
"Alcatel demonstrates LTE Connected Car concept vehicle"
November 5, 2009
eWeek
"LTE Connected Car Shows Off Navigation, Status Monitoring, YouTube"
Converge! Network Digest
"ng Connect Partners Develop LTE Connected Car Concept"
NYConvergence
"Fanbase Provides Music for LTE Connected Car"
NextNY Blog:
"Fanbase Provides Music for LTE Connected Car"
IT Wire
"Meet the car of the future: an LTE-enabled smartphone on wheels"
Garuna Web Designer
"Introduction to the Connected Car"
Telecom Engine
"LTE Connected Car Concept Vehicle utilizes latest mobile broadband technology"
Telematics News
"Video: ng Connect’s LTE connected car"
Dekalb Academy of Technology
"NG Connect Unveils Connected Prius Concept"
Programming Blog
"4G Internet Coming to a Car Near You [Video]"
Auto Spies
"ng Connect's Connected Car, The Wave Of The Future?"
MOBIZ
"LTE 4G Network in Action"
November 4, 2009
TWICE
"4G Car Prototype Displayed"
The Star-Ledger
"Alcatel-Lucent unveils 'connected' concept vehicle"
Fast Lane Daily
"ng Concept Connected Car, How 'bout a deal"
Unstrung
"LTE: Baby, You Can Drive My Car"
PCMag.com Blogs, Forward Thinking
"What Do You Want in a Web-Connected Car?"
Australian PC Authority
"Auto tech: Is this the future of in-car Internet?"
The Inquirer
"Alcatel-Lucent talks up connected vehicles"
TheCarConnection.com
"LTE Connected Car May Be The Future Of Telematics"
Good Clean Tech
"NG Connect Unveils Connected Prius Concept"
November 3, 2009
Wired
"Next-Gen Car Dashboard Talks to the Cloud"
GigaOm (Blog)
LTE Connected Car: Dude, Where's My Display?"
AutoSpies.com
"Is THIS The Future Of Auto Tech? The SPIES Bring You The Scoop On ng Connect's …"
TheStreet.com
"Alcatel, Toyota Tout 'Smartphone' Car"
Mashable (blog)
"4G Internet Coming to a Car Near You [Video]"
Pocket-lint.com
"Connected Car" brings in-flight entertainment to your car
Multichannel News
"Here comes the Broadband-enabled Car"
The Business Insider
"New Prius Concept Loaded With Touchscreens, 4G Wireless (ALU, TM)"
CTV News Ottawa
"A look at the next level of wired cars" Video (go to the video player on the right side of the screen, and click on "A look at the next level of wired cars")
Technologizer (Blog)
"A Dream Car for Tech Lovers"
John Day’s Automotive Electronic News
"Alcatel-Lucent launches LTE Connected Car from QNX platform"
Hybrid Car Blog
"4G Toyota Prius: A smartphone on wheels"
ng Connect Program Member Quotes
“We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to connect our artists directly with their fans. Next generation wireless technologies will allow us to deliver this content on-demand to the car which is rapidly becoming the next true mobile platform. Our collaboration with the ng Connect Program has been very rewarding in terms of the technical innovation and an amazingly fast development cycle which brought this concept to life.”
- Paul Sinclair, Atlantic Records' SVP,
Digital Media & Business Development
“chumby is committed to delivering rich personalized Internet content to consumers everywhere and anywhere. Americans spend tremendous amounts of time in their cars for work and for recreation making the car an attractive platform for mobile content. The Connected Car Service Concept illustrates how information will be accessed and shared in a highly mobile environment benefiting consumers and content providers alike. Working with the ng Connect Program to deliver an interactive in-vehicle Internet experience supports our vision and highlights what can be achieved through the capability of next generation 4G/LTE networks.”
- Stephen Tomlin, CEO, chumby
“Kabillion is passionate about being “everywhere” kids are and they are in cars a lot – traveling to school, on vacations, heading out to soccer practice. The car is the ultimate mobile device and, as the Connected Car illustrates, a powerful platform for content providers like Kabillion to connect with its community. From our company’s inception, we have focused on an On-Demand multi-platform approach to providing top quality kids programming. We’re very excited to be able to extend to the Connected Car platform through our ng Connect Program collaboration and the power of next generation LTE networks to offer advertisers a new means of reaching new audiences.”
- Bill Schultz, CEO, Kabillion
Want more information?
To learn more about the LTE Connected Car Service Concept or to book a media interview, please e-mail us at info@ngconnect.org