Audi Offers LTE Hotspot in A3 Sportback in July and Other A3 Models in November

Audi is offering LTE wireless connectivity in one of its models, the A3 Sportback, and plans to offer it in all other A3 models starting in November. The automaker said LTE technology is important for its Audi connect system.

The company said to use LTE in the vehicle, a user can insert a compatible SIM card with a flat data rate into the slot in the A3 Sportback’s MMI navigation plus unit. When passengers in the vehicle connect their mobile devices to the WLAN hotspot in the car, each can browse the web independently from one another.

According to Audi, the MMI navigation plus system uses LTE technology to deliver Audi connect services to the driver, including navigation with Google Earth and Google Street View, online traffic information, and Audi streaming online radio. Audi added it currently offers more than a dozen Audi connect services and that it plans to offer more down the line. Current services include text-to-speech for writing email and dictation for sending text messages.