HD Radio Based Traffic - Clear Channel Total Traffic Network Plus
Clear Channel is getting ready to launch an upgraded traffic solution dubbed Total Traffic Network Plus for 63 metro areas that will be delivered through HD radio tuners in mobile devices like a GPS/PND. They have been working on a solution like this for a while; as they tested it back in 2007.
The problem with the existing RDS system is that it is delivered over the FM airwaves and is restricted in its bandwidth, tus limiting the granularity of the traffic data, the descriptions of the incidents and generally lacks the coverage that is available today through higher bandwidth solutions (think smart phones here - Inrix Traffic App, TomTom with optional Traffic and Navigon with optional Traffic come to mind).
The Total Traffic Network Plus feed will also come through with additional information available like weather, sports scores, and news headlines. With this type of information, the solutions starts to look credible in the face of the mobile phone systems that offer a very wide variety of information too.
The first unit will reportedly be JVC's $1200 KW-NT3HDT (below) double din navigation, wallet bustin' solution. It ships near the end of April.

Via TWICE
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Posted by Scott Martin at April 9, 2010 6:03 AM