First Car with Integrated 3G-UMTS ServicesMercedes-Benz
S Class with integrated 3G UMTS services showcases in Asia-Pacific
15 January 2003  Mercedes-Benz, NEC, Siemens Mobile and SingTel
Mobile jointly showcase the first car with integrated 3G-UMTS services
worldwide. This industry-first 3G-UMTS car made its debut in Berlin,
Germany recently and is presented in Asia-Pacific for the very first
time.
In a specially fitted Mercedes-Benz S-Class,
the partners demonstrated a comprehensive portfolio of multimedia services
which has become possible through the use of the broadband 3G-UMTS
mobile phone standard, based on Wideband Code Division Multiple Access
(WCDMA). The 3G-UMTS services in the test vehicle
cover a broad range of mobility and infotainment services. In addition
to live video conferencing capabilities between two parties, there
is high-speed video-streaming, which facilitates video-on-demand. Other
applications include an interactive City Guide, broadband access to
the various partners’ portals and the Internet, a video monitoring
system, access to traffic observation cameras, international radio
and a multi-player soccer game. The off-board navigation system includes
location guide and routing and traffic information in part with video
support. The unique 3G-UMTS vehicle marks a breakthrough
in mobile data applications for businesses as well as entertainment
and information offered with video support. Content is transferred
to the 3G-UMTS vehicle at an average transmission rate of 256 kBit/s.
UMTS allows a maximum bandwidth in the vehicle of 384 kBit/s, up to
six times the normal dial-up speeds. The future vision of live video
and music downloads, video telephony and the ingenious off-board navigation
system, which uses up-to-date cartographic data via UMTS for destination
finding, has become reality in the test vehicle. Mercedes-Benz
equipped the UMTS test vehicle with the appropriate operating units
and monitors, the link to the car infrastructure and the specification
of the UMTS services. “The UMTS test vehicle already created huge
public interest at its first presentation in Berlin some months ago.
It helps us today to create the necessary expertise to satisfy the
demand of our customers for mobile UMTS services of the future”,
said Frank Messer, President & CEO of DaimlerChrysler South East
Asia. The UMTS S-Class is a pure test vehicle and was equipped
especially for this purpose with in-car PCs, with two flip-up 15-inch
TFT monitors recessed into the seat backs and wireless keyboards for
the use of the 3G-UMTS services in the rear. In a user-friendly way
via an inbuilt touchscreen monitor the driver and front seat passenger
can access services such as a navigation. In addition, a live video
of recent traffic situations on the route is provided, but switched
off automatically above a speed of 6 km/h for safety reasons. The operating
elements, user interfaces and interaction processes in the test vehicle
were developed exclusively for the demonstration of the possible UMTS
services. They do not correspond with the requirements of a future
UMTS solution for serial production of any Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Here DaimlerChrysler attaches the highest level of priority to mature
technology and an optimum design of the Man-Machine-Interface (MMI)
to rule out any distraction of the driver. Mercedes-Benz | 
