AT&T racks up another connected car customer in Volvo, which will embed HSPA+ via the carrier's single SIM platform in future car models in the US and Canada.

Sarah Thomas, Director, Women in Comms

April 16, 2014

1 Min Read
Volvo: AT&T HSPA+ Can Drive My Car

AT&T is quickly becoming the carmakers' connectivity provider of choice. The carrier said on Wednesday it has added another carmaker, Volvo, to its roster of connected car partners.

The two have signed a multi-year agreement that will see Volvo embed AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) HSPA+ connectivity in new Volvos in the US and Canada via its Single SIM platform. AT&T will power Sensus Connect, Volvo's embedded infotainment service built with Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC), as well as Volvo On Call for remote access to car functions and emergency crash notifications.

Volvo didn't say how it will charge for the connectivity, but its Sensus Connect service has traditionally been offered free for 12 months with a new Volvo, followed by a subscription fee. The pair expects cars with the embedded wireless to be available this summer.

Why this matters
The connected car arena is becoming a hotly contested space for telematics, and AT&T is emerging as a front-runner. It also has a deal in place with Audi, GM, and Tesla and recently opened a dedicated facility for carmakers to explore the possibilities with connectivity.

The question it's working to answer now is how much consumers will pay for connectivity in the car. The carrier is testing a subscription model with Audi, but recent Heavy Reading research suggests consumers are reluctant to pay more money for connectivity on the road. (See Finding the Value in Transportation Telematics.)

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— Sarah Reedy, Senior Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Sarah Thomas

Director, Women in Comms

Sarah Thomas's love affair with communications began in 2003 when she bought her first cellphone, a pink RAZR, which she duly "bedazzled" with the help of superglue and her dad.

She joined the editorial staff at Light Reading in 2010 and has been covering mobile technologies ever since. Sarah got her start covering telecom in 2007 at Telephony, later Connected Planet, may it rest in peace. Her non-telecom work experience includes a brief foray into public relations at Fleishman-Hillard (her cussin' upset the clients) and a hodge-podge of internships, including spells at Ingram's (Kansas City's business magazine), American Spa magazine (where she was Chief Hot-Tub Correspondent), and the tweens' quiz bible, QuizFest, in NYC.

As Editorial Operations Director, a role she took on in January 2015, Sarah is responsible for the day-to-day management of the non-news content elements on Light Reading.

Sarah received her Bachelor's in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She lives in Chicago with her 3DTV, her iPad and a drawer full of smartphone cords.

Away from the world of telecom journalism, Sarah likes to dabble in monster truck racing, becoming part of Team Bigfoot in 2009.

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