Audi S3 teh first production ready car to handle 4G internet connectivity

New 300PS Audi S3 Sportback is notable as first ready-to-order production car equipped to handle higher-speed 4G internet connectivity

• O2 and Vodafone set to launch 4G in London on August 29
• Functionality debuts in the new Audi S3 Sportback, available now
• Full A3 family integration from November

WLAN hotspot enables independent connections capable of video conferencing and high-speed streaming
From tomorrow new lightning quick 4G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) Internet connectivity is set to significantly increase speeds on London’s information superhighway, and true to its Vorsprung durch Technik philosophy Audi is the first car manufacturer to offer a ready-to-order production model capable of capitalising on this advanced new Mobile Internet standard.

Appropriately, the fastest member of the five-door A3 Sportback family - the 300PS S3 -  is the first to integrate the high-speed connection, facilitating conference calls en route to Canary Wharf, demanding downloads in Docklands or surfing alongside the Shard.

LTE technology can be ordered for the Audi S3 Sportback now, and for all other variants of the A3 family from November, ready for the wider network roll-out of the technology across the UK during 2013. The integration of 4G/LTE marks a very important step in the evolution of the Audi connect system, which networks the car with the driver and the Internet, and in the future could also provide an interface with the infrastructure and with other vehicles.

4G/LTE considerably broadens the scope of what is possible with in-car ‘infotainment’. It enables the transfer of large amounts of data, such as music and films in HD quality, via the Internet. The LTE standard is also expected to provide a strong boost to the seamless use of media stored on a server on the Internet (data in the cloud).

To use LTE, MMI Navigation Plus with Audi connect is required – available as part of the Technology Package for the S3 Sportback - and a suitable SIM card with a data flat rate simply needs to be inserted into the appropriate slot in the glovebox. When passengers connect their mobile devices to the WLAN hotspot integrated into the car, they can surf the web independently of one another. For example, one passenger can participate in a video conference while another watches a video.

In the Audi S3 Sportback, 4G/LTE technology will accelerate the delivery of many of the services of Audi connect to the driver – from navigation with Google Earth and Google Street View to Audi music stream web radio and online traffic information. The latest incarnation of Audi connect in A3 and S3 models also offers social media access, a fuel station locator which incorporates distance and pricing information, and a local parking availability and pricing function.

4G data connection extends to the Audi A3 range for swift and seamless web surfing

• Functionality debuts in the new Audi S3 Sportback
• Full A3 family integration from November
• WLAN hotspot enables independent connections capable of video conferencing and high-speed streaming

Audi connect in-car internet access has just received a turbo boost as the Vorsprung durch Technik brand becomes the first carmaker to fully integrate the superfast 4G/Long Term Evolution data transfer standard into a production car.

The new fourth generation or ‘4G’ technology has just become available in the Audi S3 Sportback, and will reach all other variants in the premium compact range in November. The integration of 4G/LTE marks a very important step in the evolution of the Audi connect system, which networks the car with the driver and the Internet, and in the future could also provide an interface with the infrastructure and with other vehicles.

4G/LTE considerably broadens the scope of what is possible with in-car ‘infotainment’. This most advanced of mobile communication standards is currently available on a relatively small scale in the UK, but is scheduled for a wider roll-out during 2013. It enables the transfer of large amounts of data, such as music and films in HD quality, via the Internet.

In the Audi S3 Sportback, the MMI navigation plus uses 4G/LTE to deliver the many services of Audi connect to the driver – from navigation with Google Earth and Google Street View to Audi music stream web radio and online traffic information. Facebook and Twitter social media platforms have also been made vehicle-friendly with a text-to-speech function and a status function with prepared text modules. The ever expanding list of features also includes a fuel station locator which incorporates distance and pricing information, and a local parking availability and pricing function.

To use LTE, MMI Navigation Plus with Audi connect is required – available as part of the Technology package – and a suitable SIM card with a data flat rate simply needs to be inserted into the appropriate slot in the glovebox of the Audi S3 Sportback. When the passengers connect their mobile end devices to the WLAN hotspot integrated into the car, they can surf the web independently of one another. For example, one passenger can participate in a video conference while another watches a video.

LTE technology can be ordered for the Audi S3 Sportback now, and for all other variants of the A3 family from November. Audi connect is the keyword for the brand's intensive efforts to continuously develop new networking solutions. New technologies are increasingly making cars with the four rings more of an experiential space. The LTE standard is expected to provide a strong boost to the seamless use of media stored on a server on the Internet (data in the cloud). Audi is also a major driving force behind the networking with other automobiles and the transport infrastructure (car-to-X-communication).