AT&T Announces Deal With Tesla Motors To Use Its Tech To Turn The Model S Into A Rolling, In-Dash Internet Access Point

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is reportedly getting into the auto diagnostics and car-locator business.

Speaking at GigaOM Mobilize 2013, a two-day conference that ended Thursday in San Francisco, Chris Penrose, who heads up the Dallas-based telecom’s emerging technology division, said AT&T’s wireless network will be accessible in Tesla’s cars equipped with advanced connectivity.

Telecommunications companies have been watching developments in the automotive industry as carmakers have begun adopting wireless connectivity features in their models. The fact Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) recently paid millions of dollars for Livio Radio, a maker of in-car audio and streaming apps, last month is a testament to how seriously car companies are taking this dashboard revolution.

With an on-board modem and SIM card, drivers of the Model S by Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) will be able to communicate through the vehicle’s advanced touch-screen dashboard. In addition to accessing the typical features associated with smartphones through wireless connectivity to AT&T’s national network, such as Internet searches and streaming video, the technology will provide remote engine diagnostics, access to performance data and even locate the car if it’s stolen.

Neither AT&T nor Tesla would comment on further details.