Ford planning to make all cars 4G-ready by decade’s end

In helping usher in the era of the Internet of Things, Ford is looking to introduce major changes to its current lineup of vehicles in order to make over the air (OTA) connected car updates and the concept of the Transportation Mobility Cloud possible. And the automotive giant is planning to get started on things by incorporating 4G LTE connectivity to all of its cars by the end of this decade.

Ford has also revealed that it is planning to replace three thirds of its existing portfolio of vehicles with fresh designs by the year 2020. Part of this initiative is debuting no less than four new trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), as well as releasing hybrid electric versions of popular fare such as the Bronco, the Escape, the Explorer, the F-150, and even the Mustang. Lastly, the auto maker also has plans to include battery electric vehicle (BEV) versions of a number of current models.

Of course, Ford’s plans should be music to mobile operators’ ears, especially AT&T. Just a month ago, it was reported that wireless service providers in the United States had gained more connected vehicles compared to connected phones last year, with the second biggest carrier leading the industry in terms of connected vehicle net additions. The final three months of 2017 even saw AT&T post its eleventh straight quarter in which it registered more than a million connected car net additions.

Indeed, Ford has been busy trying to add connectivity to vehicles. Around a couple of months ago, the popular auto brand had unveiled the Smart Link, a new piece of equipment that it would later test through a pilot program that brought connectivity to old vehicles. What the Smart Link basically does is connected to a car’s On Board Diagnostic II (OBD-II) and serve as a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot. Well this week, Ford has just announced that it is looking to make the Smart Link available to all consumers, especially those who drive a 2010 to 2017 model year Ford car that does not have a modem.

While it is true that carriers such as Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile, and tech companies like Samsung have been selling similar products in recent years, but when a big auto brand such as Ford is doing it, we can probably expect better things. The Smart Link does appear to be very well rounded -- it lets drivers control current key fob features using their smartphone devices, and it also offers features like car health and security notifications, as well as car location monitoring.