Automobile Wifi photo credit: melancon

People are used to hearing and talking about smartphones. But in the relatively near future they will also be talking about smart cars. Advancements of in-car technologies has seemed to the hottest trend recently, with the richest and most prominent companies vying to be the first and the best releasing new features.

What’s also interesting to note is that both automotive companies and tech giants like Apple and Google are both highly invested in making cars smarter than ever. The latest breakthrough in car technology is mobile wi-fi, so a person will always be connected, even when in a car.

Natural Progression

People are spending more times in their vehicles than ever. With the constant commute many people have to do between work, families, and being social, cars have become much more than just modes of transportation.

They are a gathering spot, and even a second home to people. So the demands for connected cars is only inevitable. And it’s becoming a reality with mobile wi-fi hotspots.

Cars And Mobile Wi-Fi

How exactly do cars use mobile wi-fi? The wi-fi seems to be most useful for people traveling together, whether on business or with family, and want to have constant access to wi-fi. This is especially useful on business trips, when someone has to have access to time-sensitive or deadline driven information. Mobile wi-fi is added to cars via the MiFi wireless router. There’s a monthly fee that will be charged, like with all internet service providers, but once it’s hooked up someone will have their car as the new mobile wi-fi hotspot. People then can do anything they want in a car, that they might normally only do in an office or at home.

Car Manufacturer Advancements

Car manufacturers believe that features like mobile wi-fi will make cars more appealing. And they have acted accordingly by implementing the telematics systems, which make a car into a living, breathing mobile wi-fi-hotspot. Because of this, families might find mobile wi-fi particularly useful, like on the long roadtrips when family members might start getting restless. With mobile wi-fi and the telematics system, people can now do a wide range of activities in the car like:

Watch Netflix
Play games
Work on homework
Work on business
Surf the internet
Watch YouTube
Post to social media
Send emails

People in the car can either find entertainment or find ways to be productive when in a car that’s a mobile wi-fi hotspot.

Most Wi-Fi Friendly Cars

While there seems to have been a recent push to move in-car technology forward, generally technological advancements don’t happen as fast in the automotive world as they do in the tech world. However, there are always certain car manufacturers that are ahead of the curve. For example, BMW has implemented the LTE Car Hotspot functionality, and they have been working on in-car wi-fi for over a decade. And now they offer the fastest wi-fi speeds of any car out there. Ford’s Sync also offers a highly usable telematics system, where someone can have a password-protected wi-fi system that everyone in the vehicle can use at the same time.

Connected Cars Are The Future

For people who want to do more intensive tasks, that require faster wi-fi to be done effectively, connected cars will be a major preference when they shop for a new car. While some cars are still not set up for this technology, it seems only a matter of time, or they will be left behind in the competitive automotive market. A car being the new mobile wi-fi hotspot will become a commonly expected feature of a car. More than ever, people want to be able to live-tweet, always be productive, and always be connected, even when in a vehicle.