We are living through a moment when the very nature of the automobile is being rewritten. As intelligence and connectivity deepen, cars are moving fast from mere transport to mobile smart terminals — machines that sense, decide and communicate. That shift is propelling intelligent connected vehicles into a phase of explosive growth worldwide.
Several institutions expect the penetration of intelligent connected vehicles to top 80% by 2030, with models equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems projected to exceed 40%. A trillion-yuan market defined by software and driven by data is taking shape.
This wave of industrial upgrading is setting a new bar for the car's "neural network" — its in‑vehicle communications system. High-level assistance needs millisecond transmission; immersive cabin entertainment demands massive throughput for ultra‑HD content; real-time vehicle‑to‑infrastructure coordination calls for rock‑solid reliability and wide‑area coverage. Traditional communications can't shoulder that load; the industry needs a stronger digital foundation.
On the standards track, 3GPP continues to push capabilities forward. From Release 15, which laid the groundwork for 5G, to Release 16's focus on low-latency, high-reliability V2X, and now to application‑ready Release 18, 5G‑Advanced (5G‑A) is stepping into the spotlight. With wider spectrum, smarter network management and transformative performance, it's emerging as the engine driving the industry toward L3 and above. It's not just about speed — it's a critical expansion of capabilities for the era of ubiquitous intelligence, especially in complex assisted‑driving scenarios.
At this inflection point, Quectel — a global IoT and automotive connectivity solutions provider — unveiled the automotive‑grade module AR588MA at CES 2026, built on MediaTek's MT2739, the world's first 5G‑A platform. The move underscores Quectel's lead at the tech frontier and offers the auto industry a powerful, reliable, future‑ready connectivity engine as it climbs the smartization curve.
Leading in‑vehicle communications new landscape: AR588MA's systematic answer
Confronting the surge in demand and the realities of deployment, AR588MA's design intent is clear and firm: meet what's needed now, while defining what's possible next.
Its first leap is early support for the latest standards — and making them automotive‑ready. With OEMs and Tier 1s racing to plan next‑gen E/E architectures, they need a communications platform that can support feature evolution over the next 5–10 years.
3GPP Release 18, the first full 5G‑A standard, brings sensing‑communication integration, stronger uplink and AI fusion — a tight match to intelligent connected vehicles' needs for big data backhaul, environmental perception and smart scheduling. Developed on MediaTek's MT2739 5G‑A platform, the AR588MA automotive‑grade module is among the first to support this standard. That marks 5G‑A's full, practical entry from labs and networks into front‑mounted, mass‑production car programs — helping OEMs get ahead and bake future‑proof connectivity into core models.
In lockstep with standard evolution comes a push for peak performance to tame the data deluge. Every step up in driving intelligence multiplies sensors and data — and legacy pipes can't keep pace with an intelligent car's "data heart."
To that end, AR588MA's modem performance is industry‑leading, supporting 400 MHz ultra‑wide bandwidth and NR 5‑carrier aggregation, with a theoretical peak downlink of 9.0 Gbps and uplink over 2.5 Gbps.
Think of it as a two‑way data expressway for the vehicle — comfortably handling real‑time uploads from multiple lidar units and high‑definition cameras, while keeping ultra‑HD entertainment and live‑rendered navigation flowing downstream. It lays essential transport groundwork for advanced assistance and immersive cabin experiences.
Yet speed alone won't guarantee quality in the real world. Coverage gaps and handover interruptions remain stubborn pain points. By one estimate, areas without terrestrial signals — from remote mountains to deserts — account for more than 15% of China's land area; dense urban zones also suffer interference and handover friction.
AR588MA tackles connectivity and positioning with a dual upgrade: on one front, DSDA (dual‑SIM dual‑active) and enhanced uplink enable parallel networks and isolation of critical service channels, boosting coverage while protecting high‑priority data. On the other, high‑performance GNSS fused with inertial navigation supports L1+L5 dual‑frequency positioning — delivering centimeter‑level accuracy at high update rates.
On top of that robust link, AR588MA pushes toward network intelligence. The consensus is clear: in‑vehicle networks must evolve from passive connections to "smart engines" that sense context and tune dynamically. AR588MA is among the first automotive‑grade modules to deeply integrate AI into the communications core; its AI network optimization engine fuses multi‑dimensional vehicle data in real time to predict and pick the optimal strategy.
It's like giving the car a "communications co‑pilot" — optimizing ahead of challenging signal zones to markedly improve fluidity and stability at highway speeds and in dense cityscapes, taking the experience from "it connects" to "it just works."
All these features ultimately serve one aim: futureproofing. With the software‑defined car now a one‑way street, base hardware must carry ample headroom and extensibility to support functions evolving across the vehicle's life.
Powered by the MT2739 platform's compute and forward‑looking interfaces, AR588MA offers significant performance reserves. The core value: when new assistance algorithms or use cases arrive in the coming years, the existing hardware can support them via software upgrades.
Meanwhile, Pin‑to‑Pin compatibility and the QuecOpen® software architecture give customers a smooth path from current platforms to 5G‑A — sharply cutting redesign and validation costs during model refreshes and maximizing long‑term returns.
Beyond connectivity: building the communications"trust foundation"
AR588MA isn't a lone technical feat; it rests on the deep, system‑level capabilities Quectel has built through years of work in intelligent connected vehicles.
In an era of rapid iteration, automakers often struggle with tech selection and long‑term compatibility. Quectel offers a complete in‑vehicle connectivity lineup — from 4G/C‑V2X and 5G to today's 5G‑A — forming a full technology ladder.
Crucially, AR588MA is Pin‑to‑Pin compatible with the AG581A, AG56xN and AG519M series, and built on a unified QuecOpen® software architecture, letting customers upgrade seamlessly from traditional 5G to 5G‑A at very low migration cost.
This one‑stop, smooth upgrade capability slashes engineering risk and time tied to route changes, freeing automakers to focus on upper‑layer applications and user experience.
Under that flexible path sits Quectel's rigor on automotive‑grade reliability and safety. Requirements in automotive electronics far exceed consumer devices — and Quectel's understanding runs end‑to‑end. AR588MA not only conforms to AEC‑Q100 Grade 2 at the component level; as a system‑level module it also meets the tougher AEC‑Q104 standard, addressing thermal management, mechanical stress and other challenges inherent to multi‑chip integration.
From day one, its design followed ISO 21434 automotive cybersecurity processes, integrating core protections such as Secure Boot and hardware isolation.
All of this is backed by Quectel's own IATF 16949‑certified automotive production lines, ensuring every delivered module operates reliably from -40°C to 105°C for more than 10 years — built to withstand both safety demands and the test of time.
Stable deliveries against stringent standards have been proven in the market. Intelligent connected vehicles are global by nature, demanding localized service and worldwide experience across the supply chain. Quectel's automotive modules are installed in models from over 40 mainstream brands globally, with deep cooperation across more than 60 Tier 1 suppliers; mass‑production programs now number in the hundreds.
What's been gained is more than shipment figures — it's hard‑won expertise navigating diverse regulatory certifications, network access requirements and varied customer needs across regions.
Ultimately, Quectel's role goes beyond supplying modules. It is a solutions partner, enabling customers through deep integration. In a market where efficiency defines competitiveness, system‑level optimization matters. In in‑vehicle communications, Quectel can deliver integrated solutions spanning high‑performance smart antennas, in‑car wireless connectivity portfolios and the QuecOpen® open software platform.
That integration can compress development and tuning cycles from months to weeks, lifting system‑level communications performance quickly — and getting intelligent connected products to market faster and more confidently to seize a valuable window.
Conclusion
From following standards to helping define them, from providing connectivity to enabling core, foundational capabilities, Quectel is using AR588MA as a strategic fulcrum to cement its role as a key enabler of the intelligent connected vehicle industry.
This product is more than eye‑catching hardware specs; it reflects Quectel's forward view of industry trends, sustained problem‑solving on critical technologies, and unwavering commitment to automotive‑grade quality. The question it addresses goes beyond "how fast should the network be," pointing instead to "how cars can connect and perceive the world more intelligently."
AR588MA marks a milestone in Quectel's long cultivation of intelligent connectivity — but it's not the finish line. As technology and demand keep evolving, Quectel will use this as a new foundation, embrace long‑termism, and work with industry partners to steer each evolution of the car's "neural network."
