CarConnect: ZTE and Deutsche Telekom make cars smarter and safer

ZTE, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the mobile Internet, has developed the new smart adapter CarConnect in co-operation with Deutsche Telekom. The device now appears in a completely revised version. In addition to faster access to mobile Internet, drivers are offered new functionalities and more security.

SmartCar applications are not exclusively found in high-priced new cars for almost two years: The CarConnect adapter opens up practical digital services to many owners of older car models. With the associated application (app), driving routes can be planned, the vehicle location can be called up and shared, or vehicle-specific data such as battery voltage can be recorded.

With the second version, the range of vehicles that can use CarConnect has been extended. Truck and bus drivers can now also use 24-volt automotive transport systems to go online. Car drivers connect the adapter as usual via the OBD2 port of their car.

High speed on the data highway

The premium function of CarConnect is the mobile hotspot, which brings fast WiFi into the car. The new edition makes surfing the Internet even faster and more stable, thanks to LTE with Cat-4 standard and transfer rates of up to 150Mbit/s in downloads. Ten devices can now connect to the hotspot at the same time, twice as many as the previous model. Personal data is even better protected: unauthorised access to the hardware produced by ZTE is made more difficult for hackers, thanks to the AES security algorithm with 256-bit key length.

Digital ADAC breakdown service from CarConnect

The digital ADAC breakdown service can be used EU-wide in the CarConnect app in the future. This means CarConnect brings more safety to the road throughout Europe. In the event of a breakdown, the ADAC breakdown service is just a few clicks away. The exact location of the car is automatically transmitted, and a call with possible waiting time is no longer necessary.

Smart companion

From October 2019, CarConnect will also be able to communicate easily with many smart home applications. On the way home, for example, the heating can be adjusted or the windows opened. In the intuitive app, users define the area around the car that is assigned functions and is activated when the smart car leaves or enters a zone. The application immediately informs the owner of any damage or theft to the vehicle.

“In co-operation with Deutsche Telekom, we have developed an extremely user-friendly adapter for CarConnect, which was already a great success in the previous version. Together with Deutsche Telekom, we want to strategically develop CarConnect to make driving even more pleasant and secure in the future," says Li Wei, Vice-President of ZTE Corporation.

With its network, Deutsche Telekom provides Internet access and the best connectivity. The IT service provider Mojio provides the cloud platform for data processing and evaluation. The product will be available from September 2019 from Telekom and many Bosch Car Service garages, among others.