- Verizon is using 5G to further penetrate the U.S. connected car market, a space long dominated by AT&T - BMW vehicles will be the first to tap Verizon’s Standalone 5G network - KDDI America is part of the BMW deal, providing the platform that lets BMW manage connectivity and data flows over Verizon’s network Say what you will about 5G, but it’s giving Verizon a way to more aggressively reach the connected car market – one that in the U.S. has been dominated by AT&T for decades. Verizon landed Volkswagen Group as the first big auto manufacturer and is supplying connectivity for its Audi brand, as well as a handful of others. This week, Verizon added another big name to its roster: BMW. Going forward, Verizon will be providing 5G and LTE connectivity for all new BMW, Mini and other BMW Group vehicles sold in the United States. “We think 5G has really been an accelerant towards a lot of the things that we've talked about in connected cars for a lot of years,” Verizon SVP of Global Solutions Daniel Lawson told Fierce. “We really have redoubled our focus in the auto space in the 5G era.” Verizon has a long-standing relationship with KDDI, the second largest operator in Japan. KDDI America is also part of the BMW deal; it’s providing the Global Communications Platform that enables a programmable connected experience for BMW Group, giving the automaker control over the connectivity and data packets that flow through Verizon’s network. Ready for slicing The BMW cars will be the first ones to use Verizon’s 5G Standalone (SA) network, which enables network slicing. Network slicing isn’t part of the original design for BMW, but one of the benefits is it allows for “future proofing,” in the sense that it doesn’t require