Audi is bringing 5G connectivity to its vehicles in 2024

Photo by Phil Esposito / The Verge

The companies announced that they are teaming up to add 5G to the lineup. Better software performance, enhanced navigation, and faster music and video streaming will be a result of the improved connection.

It is the latest deal to bring faster network speeds to new model vehicles with more advanced software needs than analog cars of the past. Car companies are exploring new technologies that could enhance safety and drive quality in the future, such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication.

The plan is to bring 5G Ultra Wideband technology to the automaker's vehicle lineup, starting with model year 2024. New features, such asaugmented mobile services, new driver-assistance features, and connectivity-enabled innovations for the automated future of driving, will be possible thanks to the improved connection.

We will be among the first to bring the next generation of connectivity to our customers.

5G, which is the fifth generation of cellular technology, has the potential to be 100 times faster than 4G, but for many smartphone owners, it has been a mixed bag. The infrastructure is taking longer to build than expected, and most phones that claim to use 5G aren't any faster than 4G.

One of the first companies to experiment with V2X communication was AUDI, which demonstrated a new feature that lets its cars communicate with a municipal traffic system to make intelligent predictions about traffic conditions. The company says vehicle-to-infrastructure communication brings a high-tech sheen to the instrument panel and helps to upsell customers on the subscription packages required to access new features.

The auto industry was slow to develop V2X technology. V2V equipment was installed in both the E-Class and S-Class. V2V was introduced in the Cadillac CTS. The newer technology called cellular V2X uses existing cell networks to send communications.

The Trump administration killed an Obama-era mandate that would have required new cars to have V2V technology. The FCC put out a new plan to use some of the spectrum set aside for V2X to expand wi-fi instead. The FCC Chairman proposed to allocate the upper 20MHz for C-V2X and make the lower 45MHz available for unlicensed uses.

When cars talk with each other, they use technology similar to wi-fi in the Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) band. The 5.9 GHz band has been set aside for this purpose, and is only meant to be used for vehicle-to-everything applications. That includes vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, and vehicle-to-pedestrian.

Other manufacturers are making deals to bring 5G into their vehicles. Last year, General GM and AT&T made a similar deal to equip all Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles with 5G.

It stands ready to work with state departments of transportation, infrastructure providers, and technology providers to develop direct C-V2X communication that can protect vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, school children, road maintenance crews, and cyclists.