General Motors (GM) said its Chevrolet cars will soon be equipped with OnStar 4G LTE connection, which will offer high-speed data using AT&T network.
On Sunday, January 5, the carmaker revealed its plans and confirmed that its 2015 Chevrolet Corvette, Impala, Malibu and Volt will be the first GM cars to come optionally equipped with OnStar 4G LTE. The company will then introduce OnStar 4G LTE to the Equinox, Silverado, Silverado HD, Spark and Spark EV. Canadian owners of Chevrolet Trax will also get the latest OnStar.
GM also announced that the majority of its 2015 Chevrolet line-up in the U.S and Canada will sport 4G LTE connection built-in at vehicle launch. The company will announce more models to get OnStar later in 2014.
"Chevrolet is expected to implement the broadest deployment of 4G LTE in the automotive industry," said Alan Batey, senior vice president of Global Chevrolet. "The fact that OnStar with 4G LTE will be available in models that range from the Chevrolet Spark to the Silverado to the Corvette, is indicative of our broad commitment to deliver more value and convenience through smart technology applications. This new, purposeful technology solution will make our consumers lives easier to connect."
The 4G LTE rollout will bring a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot to most Chevrolet vehicles, which will allow passengers to get connected with their personal devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops to high-speed wireless Internet. The cars can also connect multiple devices at one time. With the latest OnStar's 4G LTE connection, the car acts as a mobile hub.
"We know that our customers rely on being connected on a daily, if not hourly basis, and they expect to be provided with the information and content they desire with no interruptions," said Mary Chan, president, GM's Global Connected Consumer. "A 4G LTE hotspot that's built into a car's architecture will provide a more consistent and powerful Wi-Fi connection than a smartphone."
AT&T's current customers will have the option to add their GM vehicle to a "shareable bucket" of data via AT&T Mobile Share plans. Drivers will also have the option to pay for data as a standalone option and AT&T will release additional pricing and data packages for OnStar 4G LTE later in 2014.
