CUE and The AA Join to Distribute Traffic Information in the U.K.
16 October 2000
CUE and The AA Join to Distribute Traffic Information in the U.K.
DETROIT, Oct. 16 CUE Corporation announced today that the
company has signed a memorandum of understanding with The Automobile
Association (The AA) to launch the UK's first RDS/TMC traffic information
service. The service, which will distribute real-time traffic information
over CUE's FM subcarrier network, is expected to be operational by year end.
The service will be marketed under The AA brand and will conform to the
conditional access and encryption standards established by the International
Traffic Data Alliance. The members of the Alliance include CUE Telematics,
Ltd., in the UK, MediaMobile in France, and Tegaron Telematics GmbH in
Germany. The alliance partners use common encryption and conditional access
technology to create de facto standard in both North America and Europe.
Tegaron is a joint venture of Deutsche Telekom and DaimlerChrysler.
MediaMobile is a joint venture between France Telecom, Renault, Traffic
Master, and Cofiroute.
Gordon Kaiser, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CUE stated, "We are
fortunate to be able to work with a world-class company such as The AA to
develop this new service. We now have low-cost receivers capable of
addressing both the hand-held and in-vehicle markets. Access to The AA's
10 million members, together with the ability to receive a compatible service
in France and Germany, creates a truly international market."
The new service will be national in scope and combines traffic data from
the three sources -- Metro Networks, The AA, and Traffic Master, to provide
data of unparalleled quality. CUE's Roadbuilder software allows the traffic
information to be made route-specific eliminating traffic information that
does not concern the driver. The service will be available on all in-vehicle
navigation systems as well as the Handspring Visor.
John Piears, Centrica's General Manager for AA Traffic and Travel, stated,
"We are delighted to be working with CUE to broadcast our traffic information
to motorists across the UK. CUE's success and experience with this technology
in North America and the AA's 33-years' experience in broadcasting traffic
information services, produces an indomitable combination."
About CUE:
CUE operates the worlds largest radio data network providing nationwide,
regional, and local messaging throughout North America over the FM subcarrier
facilities of more than 600 radio stations. The company's network covers more
than 95% of the population of Canada and the United States with a seamless
footprint of more than 2 million square miles. CUE also provides real-time,
route-specific traffic information in over 60 markets in Canada and the United
States. Navigation systems using the CUE service include Clarion, InfoGation,
Motorola, STMicroelectronics, and BMW. CUE has also developed receivers for
two hand-held PDA's, the Handspring Visor and the Sectra CitySurfer.
Recently CUE introduced a voice version of its traffic service that
compresses the RDS/TMC data into wave files and transmits it over a high-speed
subcarrier channel. The TrafficRadio(R) connects to car radios through the
cellular telephone interface and currently interfaces with Ford, BMW, Pioneer,
Alpine, Sony and Becker radios.
About The AA:
With almost 10 million members, The AA is Europe's largest provider of
traffic information. The company also operates the world's largest patrol
force with 3,600 vehicles handling over 4.5 million vehicle breakdowns every
year. The AA has a unique contract with Trafficmaster giving it direct access
to Trafficmaster's real-time traffic speed data taken from its national
network of sensors. The AA has merged this data with its own AA Roadwatch
information to create the best available traffic information in the UK. The
AA has been undertaking a trial of RDS/TMC services in the UK in cooperation
with the British Government. The trial is shortly due to conclude and has
proven to be highly successful.
In September 1999, The AA was purchased by Centrica plc. Through one of
its subsidiaries, British Gas, Centrica provides energy and other services to
over 16 million households in the UK.
CUE Corporation, 5 Corporate Park, Irvine, California, 92606;
Phone: (949) 862-8800, X 3080; Fax: (949) 862-8858; http://www.cue.net.