Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

General Motors and AT&T teaming up to launch 5G connected vehicles

General Motors is partnering with AT&T to launch 5G connected vehicles over the next decade. The updates aim to provide better connectivity, helping users navigate routes more accurately, download updates faster, and access seamless entertainment through uninterrupted streaming.

Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles coming out in 2024 will be equipped with 5G connectivity supported by AT&T’s infrastructure. Users in the United States owning 4G LTE-capable model year 2019 and newer vehicles can migrate to the new network once it’s available in the market. The current 4G LTE-equipped model year 2019 and newer vehicles will also have improved connectivity and smoother performance until the 2024 updates are fully rolled out. 

GM and AT&T started working together in 2014 when they launched in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspots and this partnership stemmed from GM and AT&T’s two-year collaboration.

“By connecting millions of GM vehicles to our nationwide 5G network, we will improve the customer experience for existing services while laying the groundwork for the next wave of innovation including autonomous driving,” said Gregory Wieboldt, senior vice president, Global Business, Industry Solutions, AT&T. “We now connect more vehicles than any other carrier and GM has played a critical role in our success. We’re honored to work alongside GM to usher the next chapter of connected driving.”

AT&T is additionally working with Microsoft to improve the network’s speed and reliability through the company’s scalable and secure cloud services.

“This strategic alliance provides a path for all of AT&T’s mobile network traffic to be managed using Microsoft Azure technologies,” a statement in June read. “By using Microsoft’s hybrid and hyperscale infrastructure, AT&T can substantially reduce engineering and development costs. Early access to Microsoft’s cloud, A.I., and edge technology will provide AT&T with the flexibility it needs to rapidly innovate and launch new services and customer experiences enabled by 5G.”

AT&T and GM also collaborated with WarnerMedia last year by rolling out its premium content for entertainment in GM vehicles.

All these changes aim to improve the overall customer experience and make faster connectivity more accessible. The 5G connectivity will also help build a strong infrastructure for future updates including Super Cruise and the Vehicle Intelligence Platform.

This collaboration is just one of AT&T’s many partnerships as it works to roll out 5G. One of the more recent rollouts included the announcement of 5G+ — more commonly known as mmWave 5G — at major airports nationwide. 

“This rollout demonstrates our commitment to growth through software-enabled services and reimagining every customer touchpoint by enabling faster connectivity speeds to power in-vehicle voice-enabled services, navigation, and apps that our customers have grown to love,” Santiago Chamorro, GM vice president of Global Connected Services said in a statement.

Editors' Recommendations

Sakshi Udavant
Sakshi Udavant is a freelance journalist and marketing writer covering technology, business, wellbeing and lifestyle. She…
How fast is 5G? What you need to know about 5G speeds
OnePlus Nord N300 5G speed test.

Cellular carriers around the country are doing everything they can to expand their 5G coverage networks. Millions of people are already covered by a 5G tower in their area, and more are scheduled to arrive throughout 2024 -- bringing increased speeds to folks everywhere from the biggest city to the most remote mountain town. Nearly all modern smartphones now support 5G, making it the new standard for wireless devices.

That means anyone with an iPhone 15 or Galaxy S24 has a phone capable of accessing 5G networks -- but how fast is 5G? And is it noticeably faster than 4G speeds? There are a lot of benefits to 5G networks, but they're not without their growing pains. And like its predecessor, your mileage may vary based on how many people are using the same towers as you or how far away you are from the nearest access point.

Read more
Have T-Mobile? Your 5G service is about to get much faster
U.S. map illustrating T-Mobile's 5G Ultra Capacity network expansion.

T-Mobile’s 5G network already offers unmatched 5G speeds and coverage throughout the U.S., with 98% of the population covered by some flavor of T-Mobile’s 5G and more than 90% benefiting from its higher-speed 5G Ultra Capacity (5G UC) network.

That translates to the “Uncarrier” taking first place in 5G performance in 46 U.S. states. However, T-Mobile isn’t content to sit at 90% coverage. It’s been working steadily to increase the footprint of its 5G UC network to reach even further, and is bringing those top speeds to areas previously served only by its lower-frequency 5G Extended Range network.
A ‘Massive 5G Boost’

Read more
Your next phone could get a huge 5G upgrade, thanks to AI
Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 Modem-RF chip.

It’s that time of year again when Qualcomm ushers in its next generation of 5G modem technology. Announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC ) 2024, this year’s Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF system is the successor to last year’s Snapdragon X75, and it builds on the 5G Advanced foundation laid last year with more raw power and new AI features.

While the Snapdragon X75 moved the needle by adding support for the latest 5G Advanced standards, we’re still in that fourth phase of 5G technology, otherwise known as 3GPP Release 18 — and most carrier networks are still catching up. So, with no new standards to embrace, Qualcomm has focused on improving the inside of the Snapdragon X80 to take even fuller advantage of these cutting-edge 5G technologies.
The magic of AI-powered 5G

Read more