TomTom tackles traffic jams in HD

We want your data

Vodafone subscribers driving through the Netherlands may soon find themselves helping TomTom customers beat traffic jams, following the satnav specialists unveiling of the TomTom One XL HD Traffic navigation unit.

TomTom's One XL HD: traffic updates provided via Vodafone

The company claims its service uses “anonymously collected and processed traffic data” from two different sources: traffic data generated by the movement of mobile phones in cars over Vodafone’s Dutch GSM network and information from traffic authorities or road operators.

By using data from mobiles on Vodafone’s Dutch network, TomTom said that information can be updated about every three minutes. It claims this is five times more frequently than other traffic services currently provide.

The service is only compatible, so far, with the TomTom One XL HD Traffic unit, which launched alongside the service. The PND has a 4.3in, 480 x 272 touchscreen and comes with a 12-month subscription to the service pre-installed. A GPRS modem and SIM card are built into the unit, which TomTom said enables it to receive data from the €10-per-month service.

The unit also has an internal 1GB memory and an SD card slot, although one’s not included. Maps of Europe, including France and the UK, come pre-installed.

TomTom said the unit will be available in the Netherlands when the service launches this month, priced at €400 (£280/$580). A UK launch of the HD traffic service or unit hasn’t been announced.