Munich / Bonn. With the BMW iX, the BMW Group is the
first premium manufacturer to integrate the 5G mobile radio standard
into a globally available production vehicle and Deutsch Telekom is
offering the first corresponding 5G connectivity for such a vehicle.
The Personal eSIM can be easily extended and activated via an existing
contract with the MobilityConnect option. This makes the vehicle
another interconnected device for customers, like a smartwatch. They
benefit from the high bandwidth and low latency of 5G. The vehicle
provides significantly improved telephone quality* and enables a 5G
WLAN hotspot* for up to ten devices in the vehicle. The activated
Personal eSIM is linked directly to the BMW ID of the customer. It can
be used in any enabled vehicle including the corresponding functions.
Mobility is entering the 5G era for the first
time.
The new 5G mobile radio standard will
significantly increase the data transmission options compared to the
previous standard. This will create new, data-based applications and
increase the quality of existing applications many times over. For
mobility, this means a comprehensive extension of data-based services
in the fields of entertainment and infotainment, automated and
assisted driving and, above all, road safety. The 5G standard is a
decisive accelerator for future innovations in mobility and other
fields of application.
Deutsche Telekom and the BMW Group use Personal eSIM and
MobilityConnect to connect the vehicle to the customer’s mobile radio
based on 5G for the first time. In addition, Telekom customers can
extend their existing mobile phone contract to their car for the first time.
Personal eSIM, real ‘Dual-SIM-Dual-Active’ and WLAN
hotspot
The BMW iX is the technology flagship of the BMW
Group and represents a real world first in networking. 5G and eSIM are
being used in a production vehicle here for the first time.
In
addition to the standard integrated vehicle eSIM, an additional
Personal eSIM will be integrated, as previously familiar from smart
devices such as tablets or smartwatches. The mobile phone technology
installed in the vehicle enables both eSIMs to be active with 5G
simultaneously with the full range of services (Dual-SIM-Dual-Active).
The BMW iX multi-aerial system, specially developed for 5G, routes the
radio signal from the performance-optimised multi-band aerials
directly to the vehicle’s infotainment system via a Gigabit Ethernet
connection. In future, all passengers will benefit from the improved
connection quality and increased data throughput, because a WLAN
hotspot* can be activated in the vehicle via the Personal eSIM,
allowing up to ten end devices to surf or stream at 5G speed. At the
same time, it is no longer necessary to book an additional separate
mobile phone contract for the vehicle for a hotspot. The vehicle’s
eSIM can be easily activated with the MobilityConnect option via the
existing mobile phone contract of the Telekom customer.
“BMW has always been a pioneer in the networking of mobility. We
already installed the first SIM card in a vehicle back in 1997. With
the 5G Personal eSIM, we are now integrating a completely new level of
connectivity for our customers in the car in cooperation with Deutsche
Telekom.” says Stephan Durach, Senior Vice President of Connected
Company Development and Operations BMW Group
Telekom introduces the first 5G mobile radio option for the
car
For the first time, Telekom is introducing a special
rate option for integrated connectivity in the vehicle. When the BMW
iX is available on the market Telekom customers can extend their
mobile phone contract with the MobilityConnect option to include the
BMW iX and later other enabled models for 9.95 euros per month.
“Telekom is the leading network provider in Germany – both in mobile
radio and in the landline network. With our new MobilityConnect mobile
radio option, we are bringing 5G networking into a vehicle as standard
for the first time. Our best 5G network makes premium connectivity
possible like in the BMW iX. We thus create completely new
applications for Telekom customers in the fields of entertainment and
infotainment and enable the increasing networking of the car”,
explains André Almeida, Managing Director Private Customers Telekom Germany.
Simple booking via app
The booking can be easily
started in the vehicle and the customer is guided step-by-step by the
My BMW App or Telekom customer centre to the conclusion of the
contract. When you book the rate option, the eSIM is activated for the
vehicle. After a minimum term of one year, the rate option can then be
cancelled on a daily basis. Families can thus e.g. book the digital
services at short notice for the next holiday trip by car. It should
be possible to book the mobile phone option for the car for other
vehicle models as early as this year.
Personal eSIM can be transferred to other enabled
vehicles
Once the Personal eSIM has been activated using
the MobilityConnect option, the personal driver settings are not only
stored in the car, but also with the BMW ID. Customers can thus
transfer the settings of the Personal eSIM to other enabled vehicles
by activating the BMW ID. Activation of the Personal eSIM in the car
is carried out automatically with login with the BMW ID and is
immediately available. Customers thus turn every 5G-capable BMW (also
for rental or loan vehicle) into their interconnected device.
* Presumably available as of the end of 2021. Availability may
vary depending on the market and the customer’s mobile radio provider.