It is called pWLAN, or if you prefer Public Wireless Local Area Network. And no, it won't serve to feed our mobile devices with updates from Facebook and Razão Automóvel (which wasn't bad thought…).
In cars, pWLAN technology will have a much more important mission: to allow all cars to share information with each other.
Farewell to «danger around the corner»
pWLAN is a new LAN technology that uses radio waves for data transmission (similar to the WLAN we already know, but public). This technology is currently being tested in a standardized way by the automotive industry for data sharing between vehicles, regardless of brand.Thanks to pWLAN, cars will be able to share relevant traffic information with each other within a radius of 500 meters. Namely accidents, traffic, road constraints, floor condition (presence of ice, holes or puddles), etc. In other words, even before the danger is visible to radar systems, the car is already preparing a set of measures to avoid a potential accident.
As early as 2019
The first brand to announce the introduction of this system in its models was Volkswagen, but soon other brands are expected to join the German brand. In a statement Volkswagen made it known that from 2019 onwards most of its cars will be equipped with pWLAN technology as standard.
Johannes Neft, Head of Vehicle Body Development at VolkswagenWe want to increase the security of our models with the help of these communication systems. We believe that the fastest way is through a common platform for all cars.
Do you know the expression “danger around the corner”? Well, the days are numbered.