I expect that l5 autonomous vehicles will be able to function without any internet connection.
I'd be afraid if my car required cell service to function.
I'd be afraid if my car required cell service to function.
Edit: The cost of putting in a lidar system for your car won't be too expensive (probably <$1000 when done across a manufacturer's whole fleet); but think about having to pay for another cellular line on your phone bill at current telecom prices. It would be prohibitively expensive to the end users for mass deployment.
[0] https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/readiness-of...
The tech will eventually do things like communicate road conditions, allow lane prioritization, speed limits, etc, even for human driven cars.