Etisalat, which is showcasing a Tesla connected car at its Gitex Technology Week stand, believes by ensuring fast internet access in the car they close the gap between the office and the home.

Alberto Araque, Vice-President for Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Payments said “Normally in the past you get high-speed broadband, entertainment and productive solutions at home and at the office, it’s not the same in a car though,” So with the advancement of technology, the automotive industry has added features and connectivity fuelled by broadband connections.

M2M, a term used for the exchange of data between machines and information technology infrastructure, has many commercial and industrial applications. ‎

Araque said a plug-in modem with an embedded SIM in the car to provide internet, GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity to send information about the car to the dealer is the aftermarket solution.

In 2015, Etisalat tied up with Toyota and Nissan. This year, Etisalat has tied-up with Tesla.

“As a connected car is electronic more things can be done. It is like a Smartphone and the software updates can be done over the air. ” he added.

By providing Wi-Fi connectivity to the car, infotainment and navigation can be built on real-time data.

He stated that Etisalat is the only operator in the Middle East with a solid platform built for M2M connectivity and IoT applications built on top of it with other partners. ‎

The activation process of the car is also very simple.

Because Etisalat is very active in 5G the technology will provide high speed and low latency connectivity that will make connected car solution more reliable especially for autonomous cars. “We are in talks with pool car and car rental companies in a bid to change the way a car is consumed.”

“There is a big change in the automotive industry and the internal combustion engine cars are in no hurry for telematics part but electric cars are in need as it is fully digital. We are expecting a big change in the automotive industry in the upcoming years”.