General Motors has been making big pushes to modernize its vehicles with impressive levels of technology – most of which are oriented toward infotainment. The $15,000 Chevrolet Spark with MyLink is an excellent example. Traditionally having been behind the times, GM’s new-found tech savvy attitude is still a bit hard to swallow but we like the move it’s making toward vehicle connectiv.
GM and AT&T announced this morning that the two companies are combining forces for 2014 to provide “most 2015 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models available in 2014 in the United States” with 4G LTE embedded mobile broadband, according to a GM press release.
General Motors will join the likes of Audi and Kia in offering onboard Wi-Fi.
Delightfully, the GM set up will not require users to own a smartphone in order to make use of the hotspot feature. This comes in stark contrast to the MyLink system in the Spark, which does require a smartphone app to run navigation and other features.
We’re glad to see high-speed Internet make its way GM cars. This integral next step in connectivity opens up the door for a lot of formerly unattainable new technologies, including advanced owner-to-car communication. We can only assume that GM’s connectivity strategy will open the door for many new cloud-based apps.
The Audi system, like that found in the 2013 Allroad, allows for connection of up to eight devices. GM has not identified how many paired devices its AT&T-powered system will allow for.
We reached out to a GM representative to find out if this new feature would be standard or if it would be an optional upgrade, however, we have have yet to receive any confirmation one way or the other.We presume that it will be an optional extra and will also require a monthly AT&T contract. Most likely, however, GM will cover that monthly bill for at least the first few years.
GM says it is currently working with other mobile companies to provide similar services in other markets. If you’re not an AT&T fan in the US – and you still want a GM – it looks like you’re stuck for now.
