General Motors has partnered with Canadian wireless network operator Telus Mobility to bring 5G connectivity to its vehicles across Canada by 2025.
This new partnership aims to achieve the same goal as GM’s recently expanded partnership with American wireless carrier AT&T, only north of the border in Canada. This represents the first time GM has selected a domestic communications company to provide connected-vehicle services for Canadian customers. Service for the current 4G system found in its Canadian OnStar-equipped vehicles is provided by AT&T.
“As we move to 5G, GM will introduce a range of new convenience and entertainment features as well as new driver-assistance technologies on our journey to zero crashes and zero congestion. Working with TELUS, we can develop and foster much of that innovation right here in Canada,” president and managing director of GM Canada, Scott Bell, said in a news release.
GM says the new 5G network will help meet the “unique needs of an all-electric and autonomous vehicle future. With stronger network connectivity in its vehicles, GM says it will now be able to provide improved roadway-centric coverage for faster music and video downloads, faster, more reliable, and secure over-the-air software updates and faster navigation, mapping, and voice services. Quick internet speeds will also enable future Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure technologies, which will be a critical part of GM’s mission to deploy semi- and fully autonomous vehicles on public roads.
“As part of GM’s innovation and growth efforts, these network improvements will be foundational for the future of GM’s growing over-the-air update strategy,” the automaker said in a release. “With more advanced features, robust software, and faster download speeds, more data is accessible to provide a more convenient customer experience.”
The first GM vehicles with built-in connectivity to the Telus high-performance 5G network are expected to be introduced with the 2025 model year. Additionally, current 4G LTE-equipped model year 2019 and newer vehicles will eventually be able to migrate to the new Telus network by 2025, which will ensure faster speeds and better coverage for Canadian GM vehicle owners.
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