As mobile service providers boost data speeds and expand their coverage areas, it makes sense to enable high-speed Internet access for passengers in moving vehicles.

While in-car Internet access can be a distraction to drivers (and distracted driving is illegal, not to mention dangerous), it could prove to be useful to backseat drivers and other passengers, especially during long road trips.

Aside from fast access to the Web, e-mail, social media and the ability to download music and documents on the fly, there is also huge potential for better mapping and location-based applications, as well as voice services like Skype and video messaging like FaceTime.

Vehicle Manufacturer Systems

Vehicle manufacturers are starting to see the benefits of offering in-car Internet access, and not just in their flagship models.

Manufacturer-installed mobile Internet systems are the most expensive, but should be the easiest to get users up and running.

Audi and Alcatel-Lucent's option features LTE technology built-into Audi's flagship A8 sedan. LTE is a next-generation mobile transmission technology, a successor to the current 3G system, that also includes the UMTS mobile standard. LTE features theoretical data transfer rates of up to 100 Megabits per second, compared to 14.4 Megabits/second for 3G.

"We will use LTE technology to extend our advantage in automotive networking and further consolidate the Audi connect strategy," says Michael Dick, Audi Board Member for Technical Development.

Chrysler's Uconnect system is similar, and available across the line, not just in high-end models.

In fact, the Uconnect Web System has been offered as an option since 2009, and provides high-speed data transfer and flexibility, combining WiFi and cellular connectivity to transform vehicles into hotspots for instant access to Websites, e-mail and various online services.

An in-vehicle option in the U.S., the Uconnect router and installation rings in at about $500. The application also requires a $29/mo. data subscription fee, and the data can be shared with up to five devices via WiFi.

Canadian Chrysler vehicles get a pared down version of Uconnect that has the GPS, Bluetooth phone handsfree, Garmin navigation and storage for digital music, but has no option for mobile Internet. This is expected to change as mobile providers continue to ramp up their 4G networks across Canada.

Ford's MyFord Touch system is one of the more complete in-vehicle Internet options available, and is controllable from an 8-inch touch-screen that is accessible to users when the vehicles are parked.

Ford's new WiFi includes an integrated Web browser that appears on the dashboard and supports tabbed page navigation, a 3D carousel for bookmark browsing, on-screen and USB-connected keyboards, and text-to-voice readers that can read back text messages and e-mails to the driver.

Ford's In-car WiFi system is also enabled through third party USB-installed air cards, a USB mobile broadband modem, or by tethering to a limited selection of smartphones. While the capabilities are built-in, users have the freedom to choose which Internet providers and data devices to pair with their cars.

The Aftermarket & Possible Workarounds

For users with older vehicles, there are aftermarket options for getting online that range from deploying third party car hotspots or using personal wireless hotspot device like the Novatel MiFi 2372, which is available from both Bell and Rogers and can feed the Internet into five WiFi-enabled devices.

Some of today's smartphones, including those based on the Android 2.2 OS, webOS and the iPhone 4 with new OS 4.3, can similarly double as mobile hotspots; easily sharing their data connections with multiple devices, such as tablets, portable gaming consoles, personal media players and notebooks.

Provided that it is used within the specified data coverage area, anyone with a mobile hotspot device, like a MiFi or newer smartphone, can cobble together a workable mobile wireless in-vehicle connection. But there are challenges.

A fast moving car, minivan or bus will likely drop data once it moves through dead spots between cell towers, especially in more remote locations. Cellular towers, after all, aren't designed to handle the demands of high velocity data.

Users who need a more tailored and stable solution should look into AutoNet's CarFi wireless hotspot, which can be installed in a vehicle to enable seamless network connections no matter how fast the vehicle is traveling. The patented TRU Technology also works as a media server, a vehicle tracking system, and a GeoFencing option for keeping track of corporate fleets.

The beauty of products like the CarFi is that while they are aftermarket options that require installation, they can be used in almost any vehicle, regardless of make, model or year.

In-vehicle Internet access is an emerging trend. Convenience and ease-of-use aside, the biggest challenge is developing systems with driver and passenger safety in mind.

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