• Next-generation SYNC® system to incorporate in-car WiFi system powered by customer’s USB mobile broadband modem, turning entire car into hot spot
• New capability will be standard on select SYNC-equipped vehicles with no additional hardware or subscriptions required beyond the user-supplied mobile broadband modem
• Standard WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) security protocols will be in force, and only owner-permitted devices will be able to access the network, helping ensure secure, robust connectivity for in-car users

Ford Motor Company will turn vehicles into rolling WiFi hot spots when it introduces the second generation of its popular SYNC® in-car connectivity system next year.
Inserting an owner’s compatible USB mobile broadband modem – sometimes called an “air card” – into SYNC’s USB port will produce a secure wireless connection that will be broadcast throughout the vehicle, allowing passengers with WiFi-enabled mobile devices to access the Internet anywhere the broadband modem receives connectivity.

“While you’re driving to grandma’s house, your spouse can be finishing the holiday shopping and the kids can be chatting with friends and updating their Facebook profiles,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “And you’re not paying for yet another mobile subscription or piece of hardware because Ford will let you use technology you already have.”

Studies by the Consumer Electronics Association show that as many as 77 million adults make up the so-called technology enthusiast drivers population, more than half of whom express the desire for a connected communications and information system in their vehicles. Even among the general population, more than one third of Americans would be interested in the ability to check email and access Web sites in their vehicles.

Upgradeable and secure
The USB port provided by SYNC lets owners leverage a variety of devices, including the mobile broadband modem. And through simple software updates, SYNC can be adapted to connect with the latest devices.

“The speeds with which technology is evolving, particularly on the wireless front, makes obsolescence a real problem,” said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford’s Connected Services Solutions Organization. “We’ve solved that problem by making SYNC work with just about any technology you plug into it. By leveraging a user’s existing hardware, which can be upgraded independent of SYNC, we’ve helped ensure ‘forward compatibility’ with whatever connectivity technology comes next.”

The SYNC WiFi capability is a simple solution for bringing internet into the vehicle, versus competitive systems on the market. Being factory-installed, the hardware is seamlessly integrated into the vehicle, whereas competitor’s systems are dealer-installed and require a bulky bolt-in receiver and transmitter that take up cabin space. Also, competitive systems cost approximately $500 for equipment and installation, not to mention the monthly subscription fee.

“Using SYNC with existing mobile devices helps Ford provide the most value, the most flexibility and the most convenience for owners,” said Fields. “Constant connectivity is becoming a routine part of our customers’ lives, and we’re making existing technology more accessible without adding costs: That’s the kind of value Ford drivers have learned to expect.”

Using the SYNC WiFi system, a signal will be broadcast throughout the vehicle. Default security is set to WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), requiring users to enter a randomly chosen password to connect to the Internet. When SYNC sees a new WiFi device for the first time, the driver must specifically allow that device to connect, preventing unauthorized users from “piggybacking” on the SYNC-provided signal.

 

Thanks for the article post Brad.. Get my new ride in a few days and the sync system is first on my list to tackle.. Have a nice HTC touch Pro2, so hoping for the best as far as meshing the two units together for maximum affect..

Yours in lurking mode most of the time..

Dreamer1

 

Cool, now I'll be able make posts here when I'm at a stoplight

 

This is cool, but it takes up the only USB port. I wonder if you can hook up a USB Hub to the car. Or am I mistaken and there are 2 USBs. IIRC, there is only 1 in my dad's Fusion.

 

I'm confused. I know very little about this mobile connectivity stuff so maybe someone can fill me in. If you've got a USB mobile broadband modem plugged directly into a laptop (and you're paying for mobile internet service), you've got internet access anywhere that you can get a signal, right? So what exactly does Sync add? Does it simply function like a wireless router so that you can have multiple laptops using one modem?

 

Yes. It would be a nice feature in a big vehicle like the Flex.

 

thats exactly what i was wondering...

also it would be cool if you could use your smartphone or whatever handheld internet device you have as a modem, not just whatever usb device you have, and spread that around the car to laptops and things as well

 

Its also useful if you have a device that doesn't have a modem such as a Nintendo DS, or PSP.

 

Yeah, you're using the car as a the WAP and the cell as the modem.

5 people in your car with laptops can connect and surf the internet, or even through the screen on the dash in the future.
I think some european cars have this already.

I know, it'd be nice to have a wireless 3G built in, but remember sync uses your existing phone.
So if you DO get say a rocket stick (mobile internet 3G wireless USB stick) you can use that to give your car internet access.

I can see it now... "Keep up with that car, I have a wireless signal ...."

 

thats a pretty cool feature, especially if you can browse on the sync screen, eliminates having to bring out a laptop even, and for those without data on their phones, can use yours if you hook it up and teether

 

Sync uses your phone? I took it as you need a rocket stick.

 

Sorry, by that I meant that anything related to phone use (911 assist) uses an existing phone,
as opposed to OnStar