An image introducing LG Electronics’ telematics products. Photo courtesy of LG Electronics
LG Electronics (066570.KS) said on the 19th that it has supplied its next-generation telematics product, the R16, to a European automaker, becoming the first in the industry to do so. The company said the move extends its next-generation telematics business into Europe’s technically demanding market, following its entry in Asia, as part of a strategy to strengthen its position as the global No. 1.
Telematics is a core information and communications solution needed to realize future mobility services such as software-defined vehicles (SDVs), AI-defined vehicles (AIDVs) and autonomous driving. Vehicles require precise artificial intelligence (AI) computing and stable communications performance at the same time for safe operation, but securing communications accuracy is difficult in fast-moving environments. Telematics is regarded as a key technology for solving this problem.
The R16 offers significantly improved performance over its predecessor, the R15. While the R15 focused on commercializing fifth-generation (5G) telematics, the R16 targets an expanded market through higher performance. Compared with earlier fourth-generation (4G) products, it cuts the data error rate to one-hundredth and reduces data transmission latency to one-fifth.
Through the R16, LG Electronics supports over-the-air (OTA) wireless updates of customers’ vehicle software, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, and large-volume data transmission for autonomous driving systems.
The company also integrated a communications module and up to 12 antennas into a single piece of hardware, minimizing the signal loss that occurs when components are connected. It simplified the wiring structure and spatial layout to improve vehicle design efficiency, and by eliminating the conventional shark-fin antenna, it made a smoother exterior design possible.
LG Electronics plans to further cement its position as the world’s No. 1 in the global telematics market by expanding R16 supply.
Eun Seok-hyun, head of LG Electronics’ Vehicle Solution (VS) Company, said, “In the vehicle communications field that has become a core competitive edge in mobility, we will continue to introduce innovative solutions and further solidify our telematics market leadership beyond the SDV era into the AIDV era.”