“The convenience and added benefit of having Audi connect services in our vehicles, along with Wi-Fi access for up to eight devices, serves as a competitive advantage for our brand,” said Filip Brabec, Director, Product Management, Audi of America. "We have been and intend to remain innovators in this field through partnerships like this with AT&T.”
Under the agreement, all 2016 models with Audi connect will be delivered to customers with an AT&T SIM card providing connectivity to the AT&T wireless network.
Audi has previously said it plans to deploy 4G LTE network connectivity across its model lineup as new or refreshed models come to the market. In addition to being the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network, AT&T’s network now also has the nation’s strongest LTE signal. AT&T’s network is designed to allow customers to do the things they love on their LTE wireless devices – such as stream music and videos or surf the Web – with less likelihood of LTE data interruptions due to poor signal strength than the other national carriers.
The new A6, A7, and TT models coming this year will feature the most advanced version of Audi connect including up-to-the-minute traffic information, semi-dynamic route guidance, over the air map updates, and internet radio, in addition to picture navigation, social media, personalized RSS news feeds with read-aloud functionality, and more.
The new Audi connect 4G LTE service will allow faster Google Earth and Google Street View enhancements to MMI® navigation plus. The 4G LTE connectivity will also provide new Audi A6, A7, and TT customers faster downloads and high-definition video streaming for up to eight devices used by passengers over the in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot.
An accompanying mobile app will allow advanced functionality between the MMI system and smartphones.
Audi will add convenience by offering a Mobile Share data plan option to AT&T wireless customers who would like to add their vehicle to their existing smartphone or tablet data plan.
AT&T has been an industry leader in telematics and related applications development, offering a range of connectivity and services for cars manufactured by a variety of global automotive makers. For more than a decade, AT&T has provided world-class connected and M2M device support and professional services to many of the world’s largest device manufacturers and global exporters of wireless-enabled equipment. AT&T was also the first to enter the market with a proprietary, single global SIM platform enabling automotive, consumer and M2M equipment makers the ability to work through a single carrier to wirelessly enable and connect products.
-- Press release courtesy of Audi
