accelerating the evolution of in-vehicle infotainment

World’s first automotive Wi-Fi 6E module

LG Innotek CEO Cheol-dong Jeong, announced that it has developed the world’s first automotive Wi-Fi 6E module with next-generation Wi-Fi technology (March 2, 2021). This breakthrough will allow LG Innotek to occupy a vantage position in the vehicle communication module market, which has been led by Japan until now.

Automotive Wi-Fi 6E modules are near-field wireless communication components connecting in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, which control driving information and multimedia content, to internal smart devices and external routers. With the next-generation Wi-Fi 6E (6th Generation Extended) technology using 6GHz bandwidth, the module boasts data transmission speeds approximately three times faster than the existing Wi-Fi 5.

This product is a module that combines a communications chipset, a radio frequency (RF) circuit, and other components. The module is mounted on multiple components of a vehicle, including the audio video navigation (AVN) system and smart antenna. A passenger can enjoy movies, games, and more on the in-vehicle display or audio system by wirelessly connecting it to a smartphone. The module also allows easier software updates of the automotive navigation system.

With the development of automatic driving technologies, vehicles have turned into spaces for entertainment and rest. This change led a fierce technological competition among component makers over the core component for in-vehicle infotainment: automotive Wi-Fi module. However, Wi-Fi 6E was not suitable for cars due to its limited communication performance caused by the compact vehicle interior.

Despite this challenge, LG Innotek has successfully developed the world’s first Wi-Fi 6E module with advanced RF and antenna technology. The company has accumulated development capabilities in automotive communication for many years from 2005. Using this experience, LG Innotek has improved data transceiver performance by the new RF structure and antenna design with minimum communication interference.

With the automotive Wi-Fi 6E module, a passenger can enjoy high-definition movies or AR/VR games conveniently through the in-vehicle display. High-resolution videos often buffer while playing with the current Wi-Fi modules.

This new product has a data transmission speed of 1.2 Giga bit per second, which is three times faster than the existing Wi-Fi 5 modules. It only takes 2 milliseconds to connect to the network, which is seven times faster than the current speed. This is why there is no buffering for high-resolution videos.

LG Innotek plans to target the global automotive communications component market. The company tries to secure a leadership position in the market by catching up with Japanese companies that currently have a dominant share.

To do so, LG Innotek is executing promotional activities targeting global automotive components suppliers in North America, Europe, Japan, and China. The company expects to commercialize the product in 2022. It especially plans to do joint promotions with Germany’s Infineon Technologies, which supplies Wi-Fi 6E automotive chipsets.

According to Techno Systems Research (TSR), a global market research institute, the demands for automotive Wi-Fi communication modules will grow by 70%, from 51.2 million units in 2020 to 87.3 million units in 2025.

“The importance of IVI for the next-generation mobility will grow further. Our automotive Wi-Fi 6E module will accelerate the evolution of IVI,” said Sung-kug Kim, VP, and Head of the Automotive Components Business Unit. “LG Innotek will continue to provide the customers with innovative products enabling convenient, safe, and enjoyable driving experience.”