 Wirelessly connected
Modern vehicles typically have embedded SIM cards. These are the chips that are now permanently soldered in place, serving as the successor to the earlier physical SIM cards that were
inserted into a slot.
So they can no longer be removed, but they also don't need a card slot. This eliminates the option of prepaid service and the ability to swap out the card when switching providers. This will be replaced by a
change to the eSIM profile.
This makes it easier to switch providers. It also saves space, which isn't as useful in a car, but is beneficial in smartwatches, for example. Because it is integrated into the device itself, eSIM is considered
more secure and less susceptible to tampering.
It’s also no longer possible to verify whether vehicles that don’t require a SIM card due to a lack of software components are, in fact, using a functional part of eSIM, as, for example, fleet operators, and perhaps
manufacturers as well, do.
When the corresponding button is pressed in the car, the emergency call is routed via a technical cellular channel. Under EU law, the driver may not, under any circumstances, be required to bear the costs for
this, even if he/she is driving the base model of a vehicle.
Just like the phone number 112, eCall is always free of charge and must be routed by the mobile network even if you don't have an active contract. The costs for installation and servicing are then paid by the
manufacturer, whose expenses are likely to be included in the price of the vehicle.
It must even be possible to make an emergency call using another available network. Which brings us to further technical implementations. In this chapter, however, we will limit ourselves to wireless
connections.
Next on the list is Wireless Local Area Network. OTAs are also possible over this type of network, just as they are with cellular networks. Unlike LAN, the term
'wireless' is already included in the name here.
As you're probably already familiar with from home, a router serves as the wireless access point. It is also possible to set up such a station inside the car itself; here, it is referred to as a 'hotspot'. It serves all
kinds of devices, and the possibilities go far beyond just smartphones and laptops.
In addition to the original 2.4 GHz frequency band, Wi-Fi now also transmits at 5 or 6 GHz, which has significantly reduced the risk of congestion. Inside the house, Wi-Fi signals pass through concrete ceilings
and walls. If they happen to be too large, so-called mesh systems can help.
The 2.4 GHz band is said to offer the best penetration and ranges of up to 80 meters indoors. Outside, that figure is likely to be much higher if, for example, you can use it to contact the repair shop. The faster
networks are correspondingly less powerful.
Satellite radio is still used in some cases today, for example, for television reception. It is likely that Starlink, through a special technology, has played a key role in making it possible to connect to a
satellite using an antenna that is as flat as a tablet.
ChatGPT recommends reading the SpaceX website for more information. Mini versions of these can be found in smartphones. It is a network of satellites in a much lower orbit that receives radio signals,
amplifies them, and transmits them to a specific ground station.
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