Hyundai, Kia to launch cars with 'WiBro' wireless Internet

SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said Tuesday they will launch cars equipped with new high-speed wireless Internet services from 2012.

"WiBro" Internet services for vehicles will be jointly developed by the nation's
biggest fixed-line Internet operator KT Corp., the two automakers said in a joint
statement.
WiBro is South Korea's homegrown technical standard for high-speed mobile
Internet, based on the WiMax wireless platform developed by U.S. technology
company Intel Corp.
The services will allow drivers to receive high-quality digital movies in their
cars in addition to a variety of information on traffic conditions and emergency
information, according to the statement.
"Convergence with information technology is essential for the technology of
future cars," said an official at Hyundai Motor.
Hyundai and Kia did not reveal how much they would spend on the project with KT.
Tech-savvy South Korea is one of the world's most concentrated markets for
high-speed Internet connections. There are about 16 million subscribers for
broadband Internet, accounting for more than a third of its population.
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