LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE ASIA CONGRESS 2011: Operators need to work more closely with car makers if the use of embedded mobile technology and the concept of connected vehicles is to truly take off.

That’s the view of Fran Dance, BMW ConnectedDrive business lead for China, who told the Show Daily this week that uncertainty about the long term availability of network services is one issue holding back the uptake of embedded mobile connectivity in the car industry.

With cars replaced much less frequently than mobile phones, uncertainty about the long-term future of certain mobile networks is a concern. “Many fear that 2G GSM may be displaced by 3G HSPA in the near future, yet 3G automotive-grade embedded mobile modules still carry a price premium,” Dance said.

BMW is pursuing embedded mobile services because customers who are using increasingly sophisticated smartphones are starting to demand similar connectivity in their cars. BMW’s ConnectedDrive includes an emergency call system which transmits the vehicle’s location and puts a response specialist through to the occupants after an accident to find out what emergency services are required.

Another embedded mobile technology is the Concierge service which can find an address or phone number of a desired destination using Google Maps and send it to the car’s navigation system or user’s phone via Bluetooth. BMW owners can also view internet content via the vehicle display with text to speech capability and locate or unlock their car using a smartphone.

But car makers with less experience in the field need to learn how mobile technology can be exploited – something that Dance said the mobile industry can help with. BMW is an active member of the GSMA’s Connected Car Forum which is facilitating discussions between car makers and operators.

The German car maker also supports open standards like the Next Generation Telematics Protocol and Consumer Electronics for Automotive, which should partly address the current lack of low-cost, high reliability hardware for embedded mobile systems.

As well as imparting their knowledge, Dance said operators need to work out how to provide seamless and low-cost roaming and provide a reliable long term network backbone with good coverage. A “simple and unified MVNO-like back-end that automakers can access to manage their SIMs” would also be beneficial, Dance said.

And Dance feels that operators will be willing to help as embedded mobile will become increasingly attractive due to unsubsidised devices, high volume, low churn and long term business potential.

In the future BMW plans to make more use of embedded mobile technology with an electric vehicle range, allowing vehicle owners to use their smartphone to access information about charge levels, pre-heat or cool cars or disconnect them from the electricity grid.

Drivers will also be able to use the technology to locate charging stations and work out the most efficient routes via mobile cloud technology.