A new Connected Car Forum, initiated by the GSMA with support from SBD, held its kick-off meeting in London at the end of June. The meeting was attended by a spread of Vehicle Manufacturers (VMs) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) including Audi, BMW, Toyota, Orange and Telenor.

The GSMA is looking for the Forum to accelerate deployment of connected services in cars and to identify and overcome any obstacles that could delay or prevent this ambition. Technology issues examined at the meeting covered the migration path for 2G, 3G and LTE network technologies; tethering; special automotive telematics tariffs; and the concept of reprogrammable SIMS allowing  vehicle manufacturers to change network operator during the lifetime of the car.

Topics at the meeting also included discussions of the market trends for embedded communication modules and smartphone integration.Within the planned high level framework, potential cooperative activities to be investigated further will cover the development of app platforms, user payments, service delivery platforms and the evolution of communication technology.

“In addition to sharing information on crucial issues such as 2G switch-off, the meeting allowed VMs and MNOs the opportunity to develop future collaborative activities,” says David McClure, ITS & Telematics Director at SBD. “Future plans for the Forum include geographic expansion to provide a global focus from the telecommunications industry,” he notes.

Further meetings of the Forum are planned on a quarterly basis. Potential participants can find out more by contacting Alessio Ballatore, general manager of new business at SBD, at aballatore@sbd.co.uk.