Wi-Fi hotspot option for 2011 Subaru Outback

(PhysOrg.com) -- The 2011 Subaru Outback model will include the option of a secure Wi-Fi hotspot to provide Internet access for over 10 users either inside the car or within a range of 45 meters (150 feet) of the vehicle.

The Subaru Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot operates on 2.5 G and 3 G networks and is powered by Autonet Mobile. Download speeds range from 400 to 800 kbps, while uploads range from 128 to 300 kbps with 3G connection. The relative ranges for 2.5 G are 120-200 kbps and 50-100 kbps. The service is backed by user support via Subaru and Autonet Mobile customer service resources.

The Wi-Fi hotspot will work with all Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as iPhones, iPod Touch, personal digital assistants (PDAs), play station portables (PSPs), laptops and Macintoshes. It cannot be installed if the Subaru Remote Engine Starter is installed.

The Wi-Fi hotspot is simple to use and works just like any other Wi-Fi hotspot with no special software or set up required: just connect and launch the browser. The connection is secured with WEP encryption, WAN port restriction, or MAC address restriction. The system supports WPA/WPA2 encryption.

The Wi-Fi hotspot option will be available for a minimum one-year contract and will cost $499 US, with a $35 activation fee and after the first free 90 days, will cost $29 per month for one gigabyte up to $59 per month for five gigabytes of data. If data is transferred over the limit, the connection is progressively slowed for every bit of data transfer beyond the plan’s limit, but the system can be set up to notify users they are approaching the bandwidth limit of their plan.

Subaru say the system covers 97 percent of the United States. There are no plans for it to be made available in other countries.

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