What’s driving Internet Radio?

Blaupunkt prototype

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Blaupunkt and miRoamer will announce a partnership to manufacture Internet radios for in-car installation. These radios will access the Internet via an external device with a Bluetooth connection. Reportedly, this will enable people who have an unlimited data plan on an iPhone or similar device, to utilize a 3G connection to stream content from a car radio that will connect to AM/FM or Internet radio.

Blaupunkt is a well known name in automotive stereo equipment (they refer to themselves as the inventor of the car radio.) miRoamer is a universal portal to Internet radio stations and audio content that interfaces with different media players and portable devices.

In a similar announcement last November, Delphi announced that they would partner with Autonet to build Internet devices for cars. Delphi has produced more than 283 million mobile radios. In the last 25 years, Delphi has been at the forefront in the introduction of multi-speaker premium audio, CD playbacks, DVD rear seat video, MP3 playbacks, and satellite radios into the automotive market.

Autonet's technology turns your car into a wifi spot with technology that is designed to stay connected while driving. Earlier in the year Chrysler introduced the Mopar Hot Spot - which repackaged Autonet's product with a Chrysler branded name for sale as an option in Chrysler cars.

Car stereo manufacturers with big names like Delphi and Blaupunkt  have identified a market opportunity for Internet radio devices which could likely spell the end for satellite radio, and enormous growth in audience for Internet radio.

--Jennifer Lane, President, Audio4Cast.com, has a long career in Internet radio. Read her blog about the business of Internet radio and digital audio at www.Audio4cast.com .