Overview
- Verizon Business and KDDI announced Thursday that Verizon will provide built-in 5G Standalone and LTE telematics connectivity to newly manufactured BMW, MINI and other BMW Group vehicles built for the U.S. market.
- KDDI’s Global Communications Platform will act as a programmable middleware layer that lets BMW manage connectivity and data flows while the service runs on a 3GPP Release 16 5G core.
- The agreement covers BMW ConnectedDrive functions including over-the-air firmware and map updates, subscription features and vehicle-health and driver-experience telemetry.
- Verizon is not using network slicing at launch but the Release 16 5G core makes low-latency service and future slicing use cases technically possible, and the deal expands Verizon’s embedded-vehicle footprint alongside its Volkswagen work.
- The partnership follows a wider auto-industry shift to embedded telematics that lets automakers deliver updates and paid services after sale and gives carriers a path to recurring enterprise revenue from connected cars.