LG Electronics has begun mass production of a 5G release 16 (R16)-based smart telematics offering, which integrates a communications module and up to 12 antennas into a single unit, and commenced deliveries to a premium – but as yet unnamed – European automaker.
LG says that as vehicle connectivity continues to advance, integrated telematics services are expected to play an increasingly important role in future vehicle architectures.
The launch marks the offering’s first deployment in a production vehicle in Europe, and is intended to address growing complexity in vehicle connectivity where conventional vehicle communication systems typically rely on separate physical components.
An example cited is a telematics control unit and an externally mounted shark-fin antenna. In addition, antennas required to support the necessary communication technologies – including multi-frequency global navigation satellite systems, 5G, Wi-Fi and vehicle-to-everything – has steadily risen. This, says LG, presents a major challenge for automakers, primarily because of the limited space available for external antennas.
In particular, it says 5G communications need multiple antennas to ensure sufficient performance, but a standard shark fin is restricted in how many antennas it can accommodate. As a result, automakers have been forced to install additional antennas in multiple locations throughout the vehicle, increasing radio frequency cabling, wiring complexity, vehicle weight and overall cost.
LG warned that these structural limitations are especially significant for electric vehicles, where weight directly affects driving range and complex wiring architectures can have a major impact on production efficiency and cost competitiveness. Its smart telematics are claimed to address these challenges by integrating the communications module and multiple antennas into a single unit.
Built on 5G R16 comms technology, the service has an optimised internal architecture capable of housing up to 12 antennas. This increased capacity is said to be able to help reduce reliance on externally mounted antennas and cut down on cabling. Critically, stressed the tech firm, the service enables vehicles to maintain strong connectivity performance, while also contributing to improved structural efficiency.
The technology also has a modular architecture to accommodate what is expected to be a variety of original equipment manufacturer requirements and a wide range of vehicle configurations. Depending on configuration needs, the telematics and antenna boards can be combined or separated – enabling application versatility not only for new vehicle models, but also existing vehicle platforms.
It is also based on a scalable software platform – LG’s proprietary Automotive Telematics Platform (ATP) – which is designed to support deployment across diverse vehicle models. It uses the same core software across supported applications, requiring only adjustments for chipset-specific interfaces.
The net result, says LG, is a structure that increases software reuse, improves development efficiency, and strengthens stability and compatibility across global communications environments. The service has also been designed to support multiple communications chipsets, reducing dependence on any single component and minimising supply chain risk.
The tests have verified the service’s ability to maintain stable data transmission and reception under extreme conditions, reinforcing the reliability of in-vehicle communication systems.
LG believes the smart telematics system shifts vehicle communications architecture from a distributed antenna structure to an integrated communications platform. It aims to establish its service as core infrastructure for the software-defined vehicle (SDV) era, supporting over-the-air updates, vehicle-to-everything and autonomous-driving data transmission.
“Our smart telematics solution goes beyond hardware integration to redefine the underlying architecture of vehicle communications,” said Eun Seok-hyun, president of the LG vehicle solution company. “Leveraging its accumulated expertise in communications technologies and software, LG will continue to deliver integrated telematics solutions optimised for the SDV era.”
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