en.Wedoany.com Reported - Verizon Business, in collaboration with KDDI and the BMW Group, is providing 5G standalone and LTE connectivity for newly manufactured BMW, MINI, and other BMW Group vehicles destined for the U.S. market.
The connected car market has entered a new phase, with telecom operators shifting from providing smartphones and fixed wireless access to consumers, towards building critical connectivity infrastructure for vehicles. This partnership will integrate Verizon's mobile network with KDDI's Global Communications Platform to deliver a range of digital services for connected cars. The connectivity platform built will support BMW ConnectedDrive, as well as infotainment, telematics, remote diagnostics, and app-based vehicle services, providing direct cellular connectivity throughout the vehicle's lifecycle.
This deployment marks the first commercial application of Verizon's 5G Standalone Connected Vehicles platform, based on its 5G core network and the 3GPP Release 16 standalone standard. Unlike non-standalone architecture that relies on legacy 4G infrastructure, 5G SA offers lower latency, higher reliability, and network capabilities better suited for always-connected devices like vehicles. This move reflects the industry trend of vehicles transitioning to software-defined platforms, which increasingly depend on continuous connectivity for navigation, remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and over-the-air software updates. KDDI's Global Communications Platform serves as the orchestration layer for this service, enabling the BMW Group to manage connectivity strategies and data flows while leveraging Verizon's wireless and core network infrastructure for transmission.
For telecom operators, connected cars represent a significant enterprise opportunity as automakers embed more digital features into vehicles. Industry analysts expect the number of connected vehicles globally to continue growing in the coming years, as automakers invest in software-defined architectures and new digital services, including real-time diagnostics, advanced driver-assistance systems, and in-vehicle entertainment platforms. Verizon's latest agreement also marks the operator's intensified push into a U.S. market currently dominated by AT&T. Verizon already provides connectivity services for several automotive brands and is increasingly positioning its 5G standalone network as an application platform for industrial and enterprise use.
In recent months, the automotive connectivity market has seen a series of partnerships. AT&T recently expanded its collaboration with electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian to provide connectivity services for its upcoming R2 software-defined vehicle platform, including over-the-air software updates, infotainment, and in-vehicle connectivity services. Similarly, Vodafone Business and Geely Technology Europe have expanded their cooperation to provide in-vehicle internet access, private networks, and cloud connectivity solutions for connected cars. The increase in such agreements highlights the convergence between telecom infrastructure and the automotive industry, where connectivity is becoming as important as powertrain or mechanical engineering. As vehicles evolve into connected computing platforms, mobile operators are positioning their 5G networks and cloud infrastructure as the foundational layer for next-generation transportation services and digital mobility experiences.
