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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
If there were any doubt that IoT is for real, one fact ought to dispel it: For the first time, U.S. mobile operators are adding IoT connections to their networks faster than they’re adding phones.
In fact, cars alone are getting connected to cellular networks faster than anything else, according to statistics compiled by Chetan Sharma Consulting for the second quarter of this year. Counting all U.S. carriers, about 1.4 million cars got connected to cellular networks in the quarter, compared with 1.2 million phones and less than 900,000 tablets.
The second quarter, between April and June, isn’t a high point for new phone sales like the fourth quarter, when holiday shopping hits and new iPhone models roll out. But IoT growth has been a long-term trend.
AT&T, the carrier that’s led in connected cars, has already been adding them faster than phones and tablets combined for seven consecutive quarters, says Sharma, a longtime mobile industry analyst. AT&T’s on track to reach 10 million car connections soon, he said.
For now, most of those cars have been tuning in without their drivers lifting a finger, Sharma said. It’s the car companies that are rolling out vehicles with live cellular connections, which can help them do things like monitor the condition of their cars, update the software on board, and learn things that could help them improve future models. Keeping vehicles online may also reduce the need for expensive recalls where cars have to come back into the shop.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday August 12 2016, @07:44PM
And it was so convenient, the brave new owners didn't have to do anything!
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Friday August 12 2016, @07:55PM
Soon, they'll have to click Cancel every time they start the car, because the infotainment will want to update itself to a version which display ads and spies on them (a $1000 option to remove on corporate fleets, until that changes to an $860/yr option to remove)
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 13 2016, @12:21AM
It already spies on you. CANEL will just confirm that you there and so junk email can be sent to you. As I had to teach my brother who keep opting-out, and junk email increased.
Wait for Indian call center calls while you are driving, saying "Hi, we're from Tesla and you car has a virus...".
I will keep my old 2001 GM, with an Analog Cell phone for ON-STAR. $1000 to update to digital and $30 a month for ON-STAR, so they charge me for using their service. NOPE.
(Score: 2) by archfeld on Friday August 12 2016, @07:58PM
Cars are coming with a year of FREE connectivity so they can try and hook the new owners. I'll bet that half the 'new' connections are sitting in manufacturer lots awaiting delivery to car dealerships all over. My jeep will email me when the tire pressure is low, or the oil is due to change. I do like the OnStar service and I use it often, but I can't ever recall actually using the phone.
For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
(Score: 2, Interesting) by claywar on Friday August 12 2016, @09:43PM
I'm assuming they're counting the cellular modem, and not just basing this number of people who have calling plans. OnStar would be one of the biggest contributers I'd guess, however any vehicle will telematics would have to have some way of communicating with the outside world over the air.