As 5G service rolls out for wireless devices across the country, Verizon Business and Audi of America have partnered to bring 5G embedded connectivity to select 2024 model year vehicles. 

The deal marks Verizon’s first agreement with a global automaker for 5G-enabled automobiles.

The rollout will provide the auto industry with the necessary speed and bandwidth to meet the data processing demands of connected and driverless vehicles. By 2040, 33 million autonomous vehicles are expected to be sold globally.

The embedded technology will allow a vehicle to connect to the Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network, enabling advanced driving features, connected services and faster in-car Wi-Fi.

“Audi drivers will be among the first in the world to experience a new generation of automobiles, one in which their car is both a 5G mobile device and a vehicle,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business.

The 5G-enabled connectivity will allow vehicles to receive firmware and software upgrades over the air – much like a smartphone – to help ensure in-vehicle technology stays up to date. Infotainment and navigation systems can also be enhanced with HD/3D mapping and video, cloud-based user-profiles and mobile retail capabilities. 

“Audi was the first automaker to bring in-vehicle Wi-Fi to customers as well as 4G LTE connectivity in the 2015 A3, and we will be among the first to bring the next generation of connectivity to our customers in the U.S.,” said Filip Brabec, senior vice president of product planning of Audi of America.

The 5G connectivity also helps pave the way for automated vehicle development and safety advancements. Audi and Verizon are developing cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology, designed to allow vehicles to respond to other vehicles and the infrastructure around them more broadly than current vehicle cameras and radar systems.

Verizon is also partnering with all three major cloud providers for mobile edge computing services, to help develop safety and innovative driving features needed for the C-2VX communications, such as the ability for vehicles to communicate with other vehicles, connected infrastructure and other devices in near real time.