GM expects to significantly expand the services available to motorists, such as the new OnStar Family Link, when it builds 4G service into all its new vehicles.

It’s a connected world and for those who can’t stomach the idea of being out of touch even behind the wheel, General Motors has laid out an ambitious plan to integrate 4G WiFi service into every vehicle it builds by 2015.

To spearhead the plan, GM is reaching beyond its traditional comfort zone, turning to a tech veteran, rather than an automotive insider.  Mary Chan will not only oversee the 4G project but take over GM’s more than decade-old OnStar telematics service, as well.

Chan joins GM in the newly created role of President, Global Connected Consumer. In this capacity she reports to Vice Chairman Stephen Girsky and has responsibility over the recently formed global Infotainment Business Unit as well as OnStar and the 4G initiative.

Chan joined GM from Dell Inc., where she was senior vice president and general manager of Enterprise Mobility Solutions & Services since 2009. Prior to Dell, Chan held various senior executive positions at Alcatel-Lucent and Lucent Technologies Inc. as president of 4G/LTE Wireless Networks and president of Global Wireless Networks. She also spent time at AT&T Network Systems earlier in her career.

With her background in telecommunications and both consumer electronics and enterprise solutions, she is driving the setup and execution of GM’s strategic global infotainment plans, according to the maker

Chan said one of the best things about her new position is the support she has gotten from GM’s top management, starting with chairman and chief executive officer – and former telecomm executive — Dan Akerson. “It’s nice to have the support of the chairman,” she said.

GM has made a serious commitment to offering connected-car services not only via OnStar but also through 4G.

Girsky noted in a recent speech that wireless technology has played an important role in automotive advances in recent years, helping to move people more efficiently, and more safely. “But we’ve only scratched the surface of what is possible when the automotive and wireless worlds converge,” Girsky stressed, adding that, “GM intends to lead this next wave of innovation.”

Girsky said the Chevrolet brand offered the first built-in car radio in 1922 – though there are some who will debate that claim. GM’s OnStar was, meanwhile, the first reasonably successful, subscription-based telematics service.

Initially, GM tried to make OnStar the centerpiece of its entire connected car experience, but it has been forced by competitors to lay out a broader portfolio that also integrates features and services available via a motorist’s smartphone.  That includes music services like Pandora, and a smartphone-based navigation system that can be used on several new Chevrolet models saving owners as much as a thousand dollars off the price of a traditional, dashboard-based navi system.

Next up, the Chevrolet Spark and Sonic models sold in North America will integrate the Apple iPhone’s Siri voice concierge service.

With those projects in mind, Girsky said the pace of innovation driven by wireless connectivity in recent years has been unprecedented, and it will only accelerate.

“In a few short years, we’ve seen a vast array of innovation in mobile devices,” he noted. “They’re getting smaller, faster, more powerful, and more intuitive every day. It’s hard not to laugh when you think of the mobile phone that you used five years ago … though it seemed so amazing at the time.”

Ultimately, GM intends  to embed 4G LTE technology in millions of vehicles across all its brands around the world, starting with Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac in the US and Canada as soon as next year. Overseas brands and markets, such as Europe’s Opel and Vauxhall, will follow, Girsky promised.

“We believe only this broad approach can begin to tap the full potential of the connected car,” he said. “People buying entry-level desire and deserve this connectivity as much as people buying Cadillacs,” he said.

Near-term, this built-in 4G LTE connectivity will enable things like mobile wi-fi hotspots, broader infotainment options, and more advanced OnStar service options.

“Longer-term, the higher bandwidth and responsiveness of 4G LTE, with speeds 10 times faster than 3G, will support a wide range of car-specific apps and functions, both those already in development and those we haven’t imagined yet,” Girsky said.