High-speed, on-demand passenger Wi-Fi, vehicle health monitoring, and safety combine into Sprint and NXM Labs’ recently released 5G-ready, connected-car platform. The platform, powered by the Sprint LTE network, features a blockchain IoT security system to guard against hackers.
According to Ivo Rook, Senior Vice President of IoT for Sprint, “Through the power of blockchain technology, NXM provides an advanced level of security and advanced capabilities to vehicles that might not otherwise have it, even extending Wi-Fi.“
The platform employs NXM-BOS, claimed as the world’s first blockchain OS. It’s Arm PSA (Platform Security Architecture) compatible and runs on any class of processor. According to NXM, it combines blockchain with a new approach to machine identity that “enhances security and data integrity using proven infrastructures and gateways.”
NXM-enabled devices self-assign their own (self-sovereign) machine identity the first time they connect to a network. This unique, patent-pending identifier is enshrined in blockchain and can’t be altered for the lifetime of the device.
Using 5G connectivity, Sprint-NXM enabled devices will be able to keep tabs on their vehicle’s performance, location, and maintenance schedules. (Source: NXM Labs)
NXM-BOS facilitates the creation of fully distributed, decentralized ecosystems of autonomous devices operating as intelligent nodes in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. Devices can be automatically provisioned as well as remotely upgraded to defend against new intrusion methods, including, NXM says, quantum computers.
At first, connectivity for the Sprint-NXM platform will come via Sprint’s LTE (4G) network. Then it will move to the faster speeds and capacity of Sprint’s forthcoming 5G service, currently scheduled to start up in the first half of 2019.
Users don’t necessarily need full-time connectivity, though. For that reason, and to avoid the need to rely on existing smartphone service plans, drivers and passengers will be able to connect devices in a suitably equipped vehicle by ordering cellular broadband on a pay-as-you-go basis. It will be offered by the day, week, or month. Sprint says that will allow riders and drivers to connect their devices just as they would on any other wireless network.
A dedicated router built into the system, together with mobile apps, will keep people connected on the road. The router also will be ready for 5G when it arrives.
The Sprint-NXM platform is designed to make it easier to find nearby parking and lower-cost gas, as well as monitor driving expenses. Multiple family vehicles can also connect to each other, giving family members new ways to communicate.
Other app functions include smart parental controls for connected devices, roadside assistance, and collision detection. Furthermore, users will be able to keep tabs on their vehicle’s performance, location, and maintenance schedules. Reminders will be sent out when it’s time to take care of some preventative maintenance or conduct other scheduled services.
The Sprint-NXM platform will be available starting this fall at automotive dealers across the U.S.
