Ford reiterates opposition to embedded wireless

Just days after General Motors inked a major agreement with AT&T Mobility to install LTE modems into all its cars starting in 2014, rival automaker Ford restated its general opposition to embedded wireless modems in its cars.

Ford instead believes users should connect their cars to the network through their existing smartphone. "The last thing we want to do is take this [smartphone] thing that updates every 12-18 months and bolt it into a car with a lifecycle of at least 10 years," said Doug VanDagens, global director of Connected Services Solutions at Ford Motor Company. He said users are already paying for the data connection on their phone, and so they shouldn't be assessed another fee for their car to access a network.