Alcatel-Lucent talks up connected vehicles

IN-CAR ENTERTAINMENT systems have been a around for a few years now, but networking firm Alcatel-Lucent wants to take this to the next level by adding LTE connectivity.

The company has been working with members of the Next Generation (NG) Connect project to launch the 'LTE Connected Car' concept vehicle. Partners include Atlantic Records, Toyota, QNX Software Systems, Chumby and Kabillion.

While LTE is still some way away from large scale deployment, the project aims to show some of the possibilities that a next generation wireless connection to your car could offer.

"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," said Derek Kuhn, vice president for Emerging Technology and Media with Alcatel-Lucent.

Many of these features are available through GPS and in-car entertainment units, but the NG Connect project hopes to roll these all into a single system.

As well as offering streaming entertainment and real time information updates, Kuhn reckons this 'smartphone on wheels' could integrate a wide range of communication, navigation and personal security features as well as better vehicle health monitoring.

Having a fast Internet connection in your car could be something of a double edged sword, yes it'll help your concentration by keeping your kids happy and quiet in the back seat, but a constant barrage of email, news and traffic updates could prove to be the cause of a fair few pile ups.

Details about the LTE Connected Car and a demo video are available on the NG Connect website. µ