Autonet Mobile, the first ISP for your car

We always kind of thought it went without saying that the ISP we took with us in our car was whichever network powered our EV-DO or UMTS / HSDPA card -- well, not anymore. At least not according to Autonet Mobile, a new company claiming to be the first car-ISP; that is to say, Autonet is only concerned with getting your car (and the devices in it) online (although we really don't see why you couldn't just use one of these as an in-home backup connection). The Autonet wireless unit, which will run for $399, serves up the in-car WiFi using what they're claiming is Verizon's any EV-DO and/or HSDPA network; at the outset they claim Autonet will provide service on up to 95 percent of US roads for $50 a month when it's launched this spring on AVIS and for consumers. Eyes on the road, people!

[Matt @ Jan 1st 2007 10:49PM]

uh oh some 40 year old man will be looking at porn in his car while driving down the road..

[Al @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:15PM]

is not about the driver waching but about the passengers being able to use any wifi compatible device to watch, talk or play anything they like.

[JerkyChew @ Jan 1st 2007 11:00PM]

Where did you guys see pricing? I can't find any on their site - I'm assuming that the $50 per month is the base price to get on the wireless network, and there's an additional usage fee? Or am I mistooken?

[Al @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:14PM]

I think there is a monthly fee of $50 and that's all (after buying the box).

[Jeff @ Jan 1st 2007 11:20PM]

Awesome...except that ClearWire is $45 a month, and their modem is free. So, you know, there's that.

[Mark Muehlbauer @ Jan 2nd 2007 7:26PM]

From what I understand Clearwire does not have nomadic (cell hoping) capabilities. In other words, sit down, turn it on and it works on that tower, however you are unable to move from tower to tower a keep a transparent connection. You can power it off, reconnect etc, but this negates why I want broad band on my car's PC, which is, to stream music from the net.
Correct me if I am wrong??

[MikeTLive @ Jan 1st 2007 11:21PM]

that's part of my idea - posted to slashdot a few years back.
the rest was to make use of mesh networking once there is a wide enough install base. bounce signals from car to car.

[Josh @ Jan 1st 2007 11:47PM]

There is also the kyocera wireless router that you can plug your verizon evdo card into and get wireless internet in your car. All for only $250.

[Ra D O Hax @ Jan 1st 2007 11:54PM]

Cool idea for the carputer crowd and such, but what exactly is new about this vrs. simply haveing an EVDO modem or even a router with a PCMICA slot and an EVDO card?

[Unsal @ Jan 1st 2007 11:57PM]

I miss Ricochet!

[Zach @ Jan 2nd 2007 1:00AM]

too bad Verizon charges you your kidney, half a liver, and your first born son to use their EV-DO services.

They have the cellphone service on LOCKDOWN :)

too bad the data plans suck nutz

[Jesse S @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:44AM]

Why are you highly ranked?

Sprint and Verizon phones ARE unlocked. I know people that take them to Korean and Chinese CDMA carriers all the time.

When they get a batch of phones, they need to enter the ESN of them into their system for emergency GPS.

So, you can only use the phones you want to on their network. So, you could use a Sprint phone on a Sprint network, but you couldn't use it on a verizon one, and the same is true for Verizon.

However, none of their CDMA phones are locked, or can be locked. Even before that bill that was passed.

You sir, are an idiot, and you being highly ranked shows how the majority of users on this site are the Microsoft, Sony, Verizon, and whom ever else hating, Apple, Linux, and Nintendo loving, idiots.

[JohnnyG @ Jan 2nd 2007 1:01AM]

Awesome - finally a straight up solution to make your car a hotspot, it's about time!

[codered54 @ Jan 2nd 2007 3:13AM]

Just so you know Clearwire does not use HSPA/UMTS OR EVDO. I did some research and it uses WiMAX placed on cell towers.

[SlickDealer @ Jan 5th 2007 10:58PM]

Ricochet was ahead of its time. California passed the law in '06 to make it illegal to drive with a cell phone to your head (http://safety.blr.com/display.cfm/id/101975). Operating a laptop isnt that far off to a cell phone to your head. Do we really need things that could possibly add more chaos to our roads? I know traffic sucks but

Nevertheless, if there is service provided for GPRS and internet radio provided by the isp, I would consider it wortwhile.

[Joe @ Jan 2nd 2007 8:15AM]

Be good for tour buses, long rides in rental car shuttles

[KYDS3K @ Jan 2nd 2007 8:41AM]

Clearwire looks cheaper, but only covers certain areas . . . this is like 95% of the roads in america! hooooly crap i need to start building that carputer . . . !

[b00da @ Jan 2nd 2007 10:34AM]

This is a solution looking for a problem.

There's nothing in your car that needs to get online. The only group this product serves is the multi-CPU group, like 3 or 4 people on a road trip. Each person wouldn't need their own EV-DO account if the vehicle's owner had one of these. Anyone else that needs net access in a vehicle can just get a EV-DO card.

There are security and interference implications, too. What if you're stuck in traffic, and 3 or 4 cars around you also have one of these? That adds a whole new dimension to wardriving.

[Jay @ Jan 2nd 2007 2:49PM]

I could use streaming media, live traffic update, weather alerts not through FM or XM but the internet, It seems like a very tunnel visioned statement to say "There's nothing in your car that needs to get online".
Taxis/subway trains could have EVDO built-in so passengers might want to get online.

I am sure there might be tons of uses or applications that could use this router.

[dj4monie @ Jan 6th 2007 6:36AM]

Wardriving?

Those are people that don't belong on the road to start with. Why should something not be allowed to the rest of us because of a small minority?

If you can't control your emotions behind the wheel, then you don't need to be driving.

[Al @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:11PM]

This is great. Specially with all the new WiFi enabled gadgets coming up. Imagine being able to make VoIP calls while stuck in traffic at no cost with Skype or listening to your Internet radio or getting real-time traffic information. A Cell card will not do it.

[Spencer @ Jan 2nd 2007 12:52PM]

Hey Ryan, I luv ya and stuff, but this is kinda old news.
There have been other (sometimes cheaper) devices on the market for a while. I read a story somewhere (I would have guessed it was here) about Willie Nelson, who is apparently a geek. He got one for his bus, and it has multiple radio redundancyness so when Carrier A loses signal, Carrier B should still come through. Way cooler than this device.. being able to say your vehicle is multi-homed is mad geek cred.

[Spencer @ Jan 2nd 2007 1:11PM]

Linkage (PDF): http://www.junxion.com/pdf/NY%20Times%20Circuits%2007%2014%2005.pdf

OK, well, this one is expensive and only has one PCMCIA slot, but even if they have to swap cards it's still pretty cool.

[Sean P. Aune @ Jan 2nd 2007 5:38PM]

Not to mention the possibility of using a Skype-enabled wi-fi phone in the car.

[Ryan @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:59PM]

One for truck drivers: http://www.drivertech.com/solutions.html

One for the rest of us: http://www.stompboxnetworks.com/

[dj4monie @ Jan 6th 2007 6:34AM]

Why would this be a bad idea on the road??? I know none of you commenting have driven OTA before. I have driven for JB Hunt and Schnider National Specialized Div. Look, I would have loved to be parked ANYWHERE in the country and be online to while on my breaks.

It would also be great to have live traffic updates for you 4 wheelers out there that don't seeem to see Bright White or Bright Orange trucks and proceed to cut me off.

You're already runnin your mouth on the cellphone, I don't see why you wouldn't watch something else in your car anyway. What does it matter? Driving is an afterhought to 90% of the people out there.

This emerging tech has more than just limited appeal to the masses. It also depends how you look at it. More mobile ISP's will bring the price down, so no fears about cost. I don't have Verizon, I have Cingular and they have 3G now, which Im sure another ISP will put to use soon.