UNIO conducted a connected car demo in Germany in November 2023. Photo: UNIO

UNIO reported the results of a connected vehicle demonstration that tested a “bridge” product that switched a vehicle from 5G to satellite connectivity. In a live demonstration in Munich, Germany, on Nov. 20, a vehicle seamlessly transitioned between 5G data rate and a satellite connection, without interrupting the data connection. 

It used a “powered by UNIO” bridge product, which UNIO said is the first step in a series of tests designed to commercialize the product. UNIO says it validated the seamless switching needed for connected vehicles to move from a well-covered 5G region to a thinly covered 4G/5G rural region, with the satellite connection assuming the priority link and achieving ‘always on’ connectivity using the bridge.

UNIO has an unnamed anchor customer for the bridge product, with initial deliveries planned for mid-2024, and full customer rollout in the second half of 2024. SparkCognition and AVL are working with UNIO on the rollout. 

“This is a huge milestone in the development of the connected vehicle. To be able to show a constant and stable connection and data rate remedies one of the core issues facing the industry – the challenge of delivering consistent coverage between city and countryside,” commented UNIO CEO Katrin Bacic.