Verizon to Provide U.S. Connectivity for New BMW Vehicles Under KDDI Partnership

Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) said it will provide 4G/5G connectivity for newly manufactured BMW Group vehicles sold in the U.S. via a partnership with Japanese telecommunications company KDDI. 

Under the partnership, KDDI’s platform will manage connectivity and data traffic for the vehicles over Verizon’s 5G and LTE networks. The companies pointed out that these vehicles will be the first to use Verizon’s nationwide 5G Standalone offering for connected vehicles, based on the carrier’s 5G core network and 3GPP Release 16 standards for standalone 5G.

The agreement covers new BMW Group vehicles for the U.S. market, including BMW and MINI models. The agreement will support the automaker’s BMW ConnectedDrive system, enabling telematics, digital infotainment, remote, and app-based services. Verizon said the collaboration was aimed at expanding connected-vehicle capabilities for U.S. drivers.