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…
Here’s how fast 5G on your Samsung Galaxy S23 really is
Samsung Galaxy S23 cameras against greenery

If you’ve been on the fence about picking up one of the latest Galaxy S23 phones, some new research from Ookla may help tip the scales in Samsung’s favor.

In a new speed test report, Ookla tcompared the 5G performance specs of the Galaxy S23 models to last year’s Galaxy S22 in several countries — with some surprising results across the board.
A worthwhile 5G upgrade

Read more
What is 5G UW? The real meaning behind the icon on your phone
Woman holding up smartphone with speed test results on Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network.

You've probably noticed that there's been much more hype around 5G than for any of the wireless technologies that came before. Some of that is just marketing, of course; we are living in an increasingly connected era, and there are far more people toting smartphones now than there were in 2012 when 4G/LTE was just beginning to go mainstream. However, it's also not an exaggeration to say that with considerably faster speeds and the ability to handle many more devices, 5G is a much bigger step into the next stage of global connectivity. You've also probably noticed it yourself with a "5G UW" icon at the top of your phone.

As with most new technologies, 5G comes with some new challenges for both carriers and consumers. One of the most significant of these has been working out the best way to deploy 5G services across the much wider range of frequencies that it's capable of operating on. This wasn't nearly as significant a problem in the days of 3G and 4G/LTE services, which all operated in a much narrower range of radio spectrum.

Read more
What is 5G? Speeds, coverage, comparisons, and more
The 5G UW icon on the Samsung Galaxy S23.

It's been years in the making, but 5G — the next big chapter in wireless technology — is finally approaching the mainstream. While we haven't yet reached the point where it's available everywhere, nearly all of the best smartphones are 5G-capable these days, and you're far more likely to see a 5G icon lit up on your phone than not.

There's more to 5G than just a fancy new number, though. The technology has been considerably more complicated for carriers to roll out since it covers a much wider range of frequencies than older 4G/LTE technology, with different trade-offs for each. It's also a much farther-reaching wireless technology, promising the kind of global connectivity that was once merely a dream found in futuristic sci-fi novels.

Read more