AT&T drives forward with 2 connected car partnerships

AT&T is very bullish on the future of connected cars. And today, the Dallas-based carrier said it’s working with BMW and Polaris on connected vehicle technologies.

BMW is using “AT&T NumberSync for Connected Car” for owners of select vehicle models equipped with BMW Personal eSIM.

AT&T’s technology syncs the BMW owner’s smartphone number with their car to use mobile data and make and receive hands-free calls on the go in the U.S. – even if their smartphone isn’t with them.

The AT&T NumberSync for Connected Car costs $20 per month plus taxes and fees. Owners of the select BMW models (who also have AT&T as their postpaid service provider) will be able to sign up for the plan through the My BMW app on their smartphone.

Polaris

AT&T also said today that it’s working with the off-road vehicle company Polaris, which manufactures ATVs, snowmobiles, and snow bikes for off-road use and the Indian Motorcycle and Slingshot Open-Air Roadster for on-road use.

Polaris has chosen AT&T to connect select off-road 2023 models in North America through its RIDE COMMAND+ Plug-In Accessory device.

With AT&T connectivity, the device provides riders with things like remote vehicle location services, vehicle health monitoring, messaging features and information on over one million miles of pre-loaded trails for ride planning. The app also includes a group ride feature to keep track of fellow riders in remote areas.

AT&T’s network for connected cars

AT&T has already talked about how it is distributing its 5G standalone core software in 5G edge zones across the country. These edge zones, among other functions, will lay the groundwork for connected driving.

AT&T has rolled out 10 edge zones and plans to roll out two more before the end of this year.

In a blog post today, Mike Troiano, SVP of product and pricing for AT&T Business, said, “These network edge zones are part of the massive infrastructure we’ve put in place to support a more connected transportation ecosystem. The zones combine 5G standalone core with other advanced technologies to bring network services closer to the user, allowing for faster response times when accessing data.”

Troiano said AT&T has “relationships with dozens of automakers”

Here are some of the ideas AT&T would like to turn into reality:

• Vehicles talking to each other, interacting with traffic lights, and seeing around corners.
• Ambulances sending X-rays taken in transport to a hospital in near real-time.
• Cars becoming mobile wallets with the use of blockchain technology and IoT.