The UK’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the European Commission (EC) have granted Orange and T-Mobile the right to merge their UK networks. The merger had raised concerns of a monopoly on the UK’s retail mobile telephone market. In 2010 alone, the network coverage of Orange and T-Mobile together is forecasted to expand from 3,000 to 16,0000 masts.

Toyota executives faced questions this week in the first of several US Congressional hearings investigating the company’s recent spate of recalls. Toyota has recalled more than eight million vehicles worldwide since the fall of 2009 in an attempt to fix malfunctioning accelerator pedals and brake pads.

Samsung unveiled plans to expand its role in the Russian wireless market. The electronics company will provide Yota, one of Russia’s primary mobile service providers, with more than 5,000 cellular base stations and access control routers.

Leaders and innovators from the web, digital, automotive and wireless industries will come together for the 10th annual Telematics Detroit Conference, Exhibition & Awards, at the Rock Financial Showplace , Novi, MI, June 8 – 9, 2010. Just announced, the program will provide expert level business intelligence and strategy alignment to set the course of telematics for the new decade!

Randy Frank reports on what’s needed to create safe and convenient in-car cell phone connectivity.

The European Space Agency (ESA) announced that construction is set to begin on the operational infrastructure of Galileo, the EU’s global navigation satellite alternative to GPS.

KORE Telematics, the world’s largest specialized provider of digital wireless services for the M2M and telematics markets, has signed an agreement with AT&T to support wireless data services through the AT&T Control Center.

What’s green, compact, and thirsting for innovation in telematics? You guessed it—the electric car.

Industry leaders and automotive enthusiasts gathered for the start of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich., which runs until January 24.

 

A preview at some of the telematics innovations coming in 2010