BASKING RIDGE, N.J. -

In an effort to accelerate the expansion of development of the 4G LTE network in the automotive and telematics areas, Verizon revealed late last week the formation of the 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars. Which OEMs will be partnering with the company?

Verizon noted that BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Toyota are joining Verizon as the initial members of the forum. 

Moreover, the company noted that professor Sanjay Sarma of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will also be joining the forum, “providing members a link to track important advancements in related academic research.”

Highlighting what the forum looks to accomplish, Verizon noted that the “group will collaborate and explore ways to deliver connectivity to vehicles of all types, by leveraging open standards and discussing ways to accelerate development of the 4G LTE ecosystem across automotive OEMs, suppliers, device manufacturers, application developers and content publishers.”

Commenting on the news, Tami Erwin, chief marketing officer for Verizon, noted, “There are many challenges to designing next generation telematics and infotainment solutions, including supporting safe and responsible driving, advancing vehicle-to-vehicle solutions and improving sustainability, among others.

“As an innovator in the technology industry, Verizon is a natural impetus for this collaboration, which we all expect will include other companies and spur results that will benefit not only the industry, but millions of consumers around the world,” she continued.

And as telematics are being integrated more and more into new vehicles, consumers are starting to look for this technology while searching for a new ride.

“Telematics is a growing opportunity that integrates telecommunications and information into vehicles to provide functionality to drivers and passengers,” officials further explained.

“The 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars will help discover ways to increase the value of services, ranging from embedded cloud-connected solutions to mobile applications; help define features and explore safety systems; and encourage third-party developers in this space,” they continued.

And the 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars is just another arm of an ongoing project, the company highlighted.

The 4G Venture Forum was created in 2009 “to identify and support new ideas related to advanced wireless networks and to provide market validation for innovative companies.

“The 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars complements and extends  the approach of the 4G Venture Forum, focusing exclusively on the automotive space to address the specific needs of this growing market,” it added.