Autonet Mobile's hardware includes a 32-bit Freescale 8313 PowerPC processor and a Novatel Wireless 3G radio. Moeller said the radio is optimized for the mobile environment, and Autonet Mobile's software has been tweaked to avoid interference with Bluetooth.

WAAV Autonet has been offering in-vehicle Internet access since 2004, according to marketing manager Jennifer Barth. The firm targets mass transportation and broadcasting markets with a Wi-Fi router that also offers a GPS option, but WAAV has also had discussions with automakers.

Barth said WAAV allows customers to select a cellular carrier network, and provides network encryption. “The public is not aware yet of how useful an Internet connection could be,” Barth said. “But a few years ago, most people said they wouldn't want GPS, and now most cars are GPS-enabled.”

Chrysler/Autonet's Wi-Fi solution is a bit of a hybrid solution, and possibly a bridge strategy for Chrysler, according to iSuppli's Magney.

“The Wi-Fi connection is not integrated with the vehicle's infotainment system. It requires the user to have a mobile device in order to access the Internet. It's a way to bring the Internet to the car, for sure, but its current value may be in its simplicity. It does bring the Internet into the car, but it does so in a way that does not involve onboard infotainment. Going forward, there will be an Internet requirement, but it will involve a lot of human-machine interface (HMI)) work by automakers. BMW in Germany is offering a solution through iDrive that it intends to bring to the rest of the world, and other OEMs are working on similar solutions. The Autonet approach is easy for an OEM because it doesn't involve other onboard infotainment.”

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are not mutually exclusive, according to Magney. “Bluetooth is here to stay for in-vehicle networking and other instances that would normally require cable.

“Right now, applications in a moving vehicle are limited to the size of the ‘pipe,’ Magney continued. “Technologies like WiMAX and LTE are coming for sure — it's just a question of when. With the infrastructure in place for a fatter pipe, we'll see more robust applications for mobile devices and embedded telematics systems.”

Magney estimates that 4G technology will be available as early as 2012. In the meantime, he anticipates steady improvement in satellite radio technology and content now that the SIRIUS/XM merger has been approved.

“Every OEM offers XM or SIRIUS and the take rates have been good,” he said. “Users will have more choice now, and broadcasters are also using satellite to distribute traffic and weather, as well as movie listings, gas prices, and other location-based services. Deployment of HD radio is growing, and that content will become richer as more local stations adopt the technology. HD radio and satellite radio can coexist, according to Magney. “What FM is today will transition to HD,” he suggested.

John Day (jhday12@sbcglobal.net) is a Michigan-based freelance journalist writing on automotive electronics technology.