Autonet announces first in-car Internet service

Autonet Mobile, the world’s first in-car Internet service provider, on Tuesday announced a new wireless service that turns any car into a WiFi Hotspot, boosting a notion of permanent internet connectivity.

The San Francisco based start-up wireless technology company announced Tuesday that it will launch the WiFi hotspot technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 8.

Autonet Mobile said it will offer the portable, wireless Internet service, dubbed "the first always-on broadband Internet service for cars," through a world leading car rental company, Avis Rent-A-Car System.

The company is expected to announce this week that it has reached an agreement with the New Jersey USA based automobile rental company to provide a rolling Wi-Fi hot spot to Avis customers by the end of the first quarter.

Under the expected deal, the U.S. car rental giant Avis will issue motorists a device that plugs into a car's power supply and delivers a high-speed Internet connection for $10.95 a day.

The device uses the 3G cellular network, and would work in all major metropolitan areas and in about 95 percent of the country, said Sterling Pratz, president and chief executive of Autonet.

The Wireless Broadband Mobile Network connecting laptops and other electronic devices to the Internet without wires represents a critical move toward what technology experts call the "connected car."

Optimized for the in-car experience, the mobile internet technology enables passengers check email, surf the web, game or communicate through any WiFi-enabled device while they are onboard.

Though the service is initially available for business travelers, but Autonet said it will offer the same service soon to families traveling with their children.

The technology may trigger some safety concerns and legal questions as well, according to the industry analysts. Operating the WiFi hotspot technology while driving can cause accidents, and goes against the traffic rules.

However, Autonet clarified that the service was for passengers, not for drivers and that Avis would require renters to agree not to hold it liable for accidents resulting from irresponsible use.