Dubai: The automobile industry has not only emerged as the new battleground in the smartphone wars but also for the future of computing and cars.
Etisalat, which is showcasing a Tesla connected car at its Gitex Techbology Week stand, believes connected car solutions are accelerating and will close the technological gap between the home and the office, by ensuring fast internet access in the car.
“In the past, at home and office, you get high-speed broadband, entertainment and productivity solutions but when you move into the car, all of the technology is disconnected,” Alberto Araque, Vice-President for Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Payments, told Gulf News.
So with the advancement of technology, he said the automotive industry has added connectivity and features fuelled by broadband connections.
M2M, a term used for the exchange of data between machines and information technology infrastructure, has many industrial and commercial applications.
Araque said the aftermarket solution is a plug-in modem with an embedded SIM in the car to provide GPS, internet and Wi-Fi connectivity to send information about the car to the dealer.
In 2015, Etisalat tied up with Nissan and with Toyota last year. This year, Etisalat has tied-up with Tesla.
He said the demand for connected cars in the UAE is driven mainly by consumers and due to the demand, the dealers are eager to bring it to the market rather than the manufacturers.
There are two types [of connectivity for cars] — telematics and infotainment. Telematics is to check the health of the car with the help of sensors and report to the dealer if there is an issue before the driver comes to know.
“With a connected car, more things can be done as it is electronic. It is like a smartphone and the software updates can be done over the air. ” he said.
By providing Wi-Fi connectivity to the car, infotainment (live TV, video, search information and stream music) and navigation can be built on real-time data.
The car gets activated with a local SIM card and a local subscription based on a global agreement.
He said that etisalat is the only operator in the Middle East with a solid platform built for M2M connectivity and IoT applications built on top of it with other partners.
Etisalat is also very active in 5G. The technology will provide high speed and low latency connectivity that will make connected car solution more reliable specially for Autonomous cars. “We are in talks with car rental and pool car companies in a bid to change the way a car is consumed.
“Connected cars now coming to the market does not have FM or AM tuner in the car, only internet radio. We are providing a plug-in modem in the car,” he said.
“There is a big change in the automotive industry and the internal combustion engine cars are in no hurry for telematics part but electric cars are in need as it is fully digital. we are expecting a big change in the automotive industry in 2018 and 2019.
“We expect more electric cars to be on the road from most manufacturers. Many countries have put mandates to stop internal combustion engine cars from the roads which mean there is more demand for connectivity,” he said.
With eCall or emergency call expected to be mandatory for cars in the UAE soon, Araque said the demand for connectivity is expected to go up further.
It is similar to calling 911 or 999 where instead of the person dialling the number, the car makes an emergency call for help if involved in traffic accidents.
“It is an electronic safety system enabling a car to automatically call emergency services in case of an accident through connectivity,” he said.
