Your Car as a Hotspot

Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:40PM EST

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Long roadtrips can be a nightmare for those of us "wired" types. I can't tell you how many times I've fantasized about having a WiFi connection in the car to keep myself entertained on those long road trips. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy unplugging most of the time, but a six hour trip to Southern California can be pretty boring, unless you take the more scenic route.

I'm pretty excited about a new service from Autonet Mobile which will make roadtrips fun again. Autonet claims to be the "first Internet service provider for cars" that creates an in-car WiFi hotspot. The company sells an in-car router that plugs into the car's cigarette lighter, and connects you to cellular data networks (EVDO, 1xRTT) providing you with a wireless broadband connection anyone in the car can use. The service will be launching this Spring with the in-car router retailing for $399, and a service subscription that will cost $49.95/month for unlimited data usage. Avis Rent A Car will be offering this service to its customers starting this March for an additional $10.95 per day.

The guys over at Autoblog caught a glimpse of it at CES 2007, and they say the service is pretty cool.

What do you think about WiFi in the car? Is this going to be just another distraction for drivers?

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  • 1 Posted by sandman256@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    It would be a distraction for drivers, but passagers would benefit. Why can't auto makers make this a feature on new models?

  • 2 Posted by n2jdj on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:32PM EDT Report Abuse

    The costs of using the wireless cell phone data network for mobile WiFi, as well as the special equipment needed, is absurd. You can use a high gain, vertical colinear antenna, to get access from public Wifi hotspots. With a small investment in consumer grade WiFi equipment and a little know-how, it is very easy to do.Go to http://www.wlan.org.uk/antenna-page.html for more info, as well as http://www.frys.com for the best deals on equipment. Don't worry, when WIMAX finally gets up and running, mobile WiFi will ROCK!!! Happy roaming! Bozo the WiFi guy.

  • 3 Posted by shanu_ntz on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    THis must be kool then. although it will have its Disadvanteges though

  • 4 Posted by tennisshoe82 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    I don't think that the initial investment of $399 is so ureasonable but the monthly service fees are so high that it would only benefit those who work on the road most all of the time. I don't see it being used nearly enough to make the $49 a month charge worth while, especially when 99% of all hotels that you stay at, now days, have internet in the rooms. I could see something like $15-$20 a month, max. Just my humble opinion.

  • 5 Posted by d_arseno on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    That's it. I am selling the house and getting a huge RV and travelling the world in my new rolling home office!

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