Telecommunications services provider Orange announced collaboration with Renault, an international multi-brand group, to explore the application of 4G/LTE connectivity in future vehicles.
4G/LTE has the power to deliver hyper connectivity in vehicles of tomorrow to provide motorists with safe access of their professional and personal digital worlds, the company said.
Connected vehicles are already a reality. With Renault R-Link, Renault provides its customers with an integrated and connected multimedia touch tablet. R-Link is poised to equip most of Renault’s forthcoming cars.
Automotive research consultancy SBD rated R-Link the ‘best system’ over six other leading European OE infotainment and navigation systems. R-Link, available on most Renault range models, already features nearly 100 apps.
Renault relies on the connectivity and know-how of Orange Business Services, which supplies the SIM M2M cards used in R-Link-equipped cars.
Both companies are collaborating on 4G in advance at Renault’s research and testing facilities. They will test new applications of the high-speed mobile technology in real-life situations ranging from virtual office and cloud gaming to video conferencing.
An initial test is underway on the NEXT TWO prototype based on Renault ZOE and to be presented on the Renault stand at the LeWeb’13 Paris conference.
Rémi Bastien, head of Engineering Innovation at Renault, said, “We were able to benefit ahead of time from a high-speed LTE network and from Orange’s expertise, with an opportunity to take advantage of the network for our prototype of the connected vehicle of the future.”
In turn, Orange will provide Renault with the unrivalled performance of its 4G network and thereby contribute to the development of new Web-mobility uses and services for vehicles of the future, said
Nathalie Leboucher, head of the Smart Cities Program at Orange.
“Connected cars with communications services make travelling more efficient, and this is a major development priority in Orange’s strategy,” Leboucher added.
