Common Motors is becoming a member of the march towards 5G, a key step for establishing the muse for enhanced autonomous-driving expertise.

GM and AT&T have partnered to equip GM autos with 5G mobile connectivity, which additionally consists of Microsoft providers, beginning with the 2024 mannequin 12 months. Earlier model-year autos will be capable to improve to 5G by way of an over-the-air replace, GM stated.

The 5G community and Microsoft’s cloud providers will likely be a powerful base as GM advances its expertise, such because the Tremendous Cruise hands-free driver-assist system and Car Intelligence Platform, GM stated.

It can additionally present broader scale for future mobility providers, comparable to e-commerce, the businesses stated.

The potential, enhanced from the present 4G LTE providing, will enhance roadway protection, together with lowering lifeless spots; velocity up music and video downloads; make over-the-air updates sooner and safer; and velocity up navigation, mapping and voice providers, AT&T and GM stated this month.

“By connecting hundreds of thousands of GM autos to our nationwide 5G community, we’ll enhance the shopper expertise for current providers whereas laying the groundwork for the following wave of innovation together with autonomous driving,” Gregory Wieboldt, senior vp of world enterprise, business options at AT&T, stated within the assertion.

“We now join extra autos than every other service, and GM has performed a crucial function in our success.”

For the reason that in-vehicle launch of AT&T’s 4G LTE in 2014, GM prospects have used greater than 171 million gigabytes of information, which is equal to just about 5.7 billion hours of music streaming or greater than 716 million hours of video streaming.

Different automakers, comparable to Ford Motor Co., have added 5G to autos, which permits prospects to obtain extra information sooner than 4G LTE, stated Mike Ramsey, a senior analyst at Gartner.

“The largest a part of this,” Ramsey stated, “is GM’s dedication to place it throughout their complete lineup.”