Hands on with TomTom HD traffic
Using a simple mobile phone network looks set to revolutionise the way we get around.
TomTom's HD traffic system has been up and running in the Netherlands for a while now. The concept is brilliant in its simplicity: track Vodafone users on the move, see how long it takes them to get around and relay the info back to your TomTom satnav every three minutes.
Okay, the tracking bit does sound a bit Big Brother, but they're only using the GSM data, not listening in on calls, and it means they can see how fast (or slow) it takes a user, on any road, be it a motorway or back street to get from a to b.
This means TomTom can now tell ONE XL owners across the channel super accurate data about how to get around and what's going on up ahead.
We took it for a spin during rush hour around Amsterdam and it really does make the satnav an even more promising gadget than it already is. You can see jams developing quicker, giving you more time to plot a way around it or just make a call telling the missus you're going to be a tad late home.
The GSM details required are actually pretty minimal. Only one driver on the network needs to make a call on a given stretch, with another closely following, for TomTom to see if they're slowing down. This means information comes to them thick and fast. The more drivers slowing down, the clearer it is that a big old jam is starting.
The system is a massive 5 times faster than their current method of getting traffic news to drivers. It only costs €9.95 a month to subscribe, but that's only if you've not snagged one of the satnavs without it good to go.
TomTom says they've already been testing it around Heathrow and areas in South London, something which we got a peek of in their control centre. Frankly, it looked pretty terrifying, but at least punters know a precise time on how long their trip through the suburbs is going to be.
As for a UK launch date, they say it'll be 'summer' this year. With France getting in on the action, and with HD Traffic already taking the lead in the Netherlands, we wouldn't be surprised if we saw it sooner.
Posted by Joe Minihane on 2008-02-07
You need to 
We took it for a spin during rush hour around Amsterdam and it really does make the satnav an even more promising gadget than it already is
By t3dave
9|02|2008 08:57
Good grief, what's happening to standards of English at T3? "...they can see how fast (or slow) it takes a user...to get from a to b". Am I dreaming or does it really say that?
Incidentally, in the full version of the sentence, there's a comma missing after "street". It should read "they can see how fast (or slow) it takes a user, on any road, be it a motorway or back street, to get from a to b".