Chrysler claims it will begin offering in-car Internet access later this year. It's a little more complicated and confusing than just magically putting a chip into a car that gets Internet access anywhere, unfortunately. Chrysler said that the service will work by utilizing a broadband connection from cell phone towers. Thus, a partnership would have to be reached between Chrysler and one of the major cell phone carriers to get this to work correctly, and such a partnership is unknown at this time.
The entire circumstance is tricky because AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon, the four major U.S. carriers, use different broadband cell technologies. Sprint and Verizon use EV-DO while AT&T and T-Mobile use 3G. Ford teamed up with Sprint for its in-car Internet with the Ford Work Solutions. With in-car Internet as being described, Chrysler will be forced to pick one carrier therefore making it harder for those that don't already use that carrier to get access. Also, these broadband cell data service plans usually linger in the $40 per-month range, which may be a bit too much for one to simply get Internet access in the car, especially given the fact that you can only do true surfing when the car is traveling at three mph or slower, as most manufacturers have implemented for safety.
It's a step in the right direction, but there are a hell of a lot of kinks to be worked out before this can be deemed a success. [Washington Post via Orbitcast]