Audi plans to bring 5G connectivity to its vehicles by 2024

Audi of America and Verizon are working together to add 5G connectivity to the automaker's lineup by 2024. The improved connectivity will mean better software performance, enhanced navigation, and faster music and video streaming capabilities.

It’s the latest deal to bring faster network speeds to new models, which have more advanced software requirements than analog cars of the past. It also comes as car companies explore new technologies, like vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, that could improve safety and driving quality in the future.

Audi and Verizon said they plan to bring 5G ultra-wideband technology to the automaker's vehicle lineup starting with the 2024 model year. The companies said the improved connectivity will pave the way for new features such as enhanced mobility services, new driver assistance features and innovations that will provide connectivity for an autonomous future.

Audi touts its status as one of the first automakers to introduce in-car Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connectivity, starting with the 2015 Audi A3 sedan. "We will be among the first to bring next-generation connectivity to our customers in the U.S.," Filip Brabec, senior vice president of product planning at Audi of America, said in a statement.

5G, so named because it's the fifth generation of cellular technology, has the potential to be 100 times faster than 4G LTE, but has been a mixed bag for many smartphone users. The infrastructure has taken longer to build out than originally expected, and most smartphones claiming to use 5G aren't much faster than 4G.

Audi was also one of the first companies to experiment with V2X communications, demonstrating a new feature that lets its cars communicate with municipal traffic systems to make intelligent predictions about traffic conditions. According to the company, communication between vehicles and infrastructure, in particular, brings a high-tech sheen to dashboards and also helps sell customers on subscription packages required to use new features.

But the auto industry has been slow to develop V2X technology and has done so piecemeal. Mercedes installed V2V equipment in its 2017 E-Class and 2018 S-Class. GM also introduced V2V in the 2017 Cadillac CTS. Other automakers are beginning to look closely at a newer technology called cellular V2X (C-V2X), which uses existing cellular networks to send communications.

In 2017, the Trump administration announced the elimination of an Obama-era mandate that required new cars to be equipped with V2V technology. Tensions escalated last year when the FCC proposed a new plan to use some of the spectrum reserved for V2X to expand Wi-Fi. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai called V2X "an unfulfilled promise" and proposed using the lower 45MHz of the band for unlicensed uses such as Wi-Fi and allocating the higher 20MHz to C-V2X.

When cars talk to each other, they exchange data wirelessly over an unlicensed spectrum called the Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) band, using technology similar to Wi-Fi. The FCC has set aside spectrum in the 5.9GHz band specifically for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X) applications. This includes vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P).

Other automakers are also working on deals to bring 5G to their own vehicles. Last year, General Motors and AT&T reached a similar agreement to equip all 2024 model Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC vehicles with 5G.

Audi said it intends to work with state transportation departments, infrastructure providers and technology suppliers to develop direct C-V2X communications to protect vulnerable road users - including pedestrians, schoolchildren, road maintenance crews and cyclists.