14 DAY TRIAL // Autonet Mobile announced that they would debut a new wireless service that turns the car into a WiFi hotspot. The new system, to be demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, will allow users to check their emails, surf the Internet, play and communicate via any WiFi device from within the car. The service is specially optimized for in-car use and will work on 95 percent of U.S. Roads, regardless of driving conditions and location.
Autonet Mobile uses its TRU Technology that provides automatic session management between high and low speed networks to keep the passengers connected while driving. What users need to do is simply plug the device into a cigarette lighter or standard wall plug and the Autonet Mobile Service will ensure a secure connection to any WiFi device in close proximity to the vehicle.
"We live in a car centric society and our Autonet Mobile Service is directly addressing the communications needs of today's drivers and passengers," stated Sterling Pratz, CEO of Autonet Mobile. "Today, 40 percent of all SUVs and station wagons come equipped with media centers, supporting music and DVD's, yet, do not support today's connected lifestyle of the Internet, email and social media. We are putting the connected lifestyle in the car with an easy to use service for executives and families on the go."
"The auto industry has been searching for a practical in-vehicle Internet solution for almost a decade. Autonet Mobile's unique approach has been optimized around the specific challenges of keeping laptops, UMPC's, gaming devices and other WiFi enabled devices connected while driving. The Autonet service will help to fill consumers' insatiable need to stay connected, even while on the road," is the opinion of Dave Whetstone, the co-founder of Virgin Mobile USA.
The Autonet Mobile Unit is priced at $399 and requires a monthly subscription of $49.