As the automotive industry accelerates toward a future defined by connected vehicles and intelligent mobility, a critical challenge looms: ensuring that mobile networks can handle the rising flood of real-time data. The Automotive Edge Computing Consortium (AECC), in collaboration with GSMA, is urging global mobile network operators to upgrade their infrastructure to meet the evolving demands of next-generation automotive technology.
The AECC, a cross-industry group focused on advancing connectivity solutions for connected cars, has released a Statement of Requirements document, detailing the network capabilities necessary to support intelligent driving, high-definition mapping, and teleoperation. The document underscores the need for scalable, programmable 5G services capable of managing massive uplink traffic and real-time data processing—functions that current networks were not designed to handle.
“Despite advances in 5G, more can be done to align network services with the needs of the automotive sector,” said Henry Calvert, Head of Networks at GSMA. “The AECC is mapping out how the mobile industry can support this digital transformation, but global adoption of enhanced network capabilities must accelerate.”
To address these challenges, the AECC advocates for a topology-aware, distributed cloud system that moves computing resources closer to vehicles, reducing latency and optimizing performance across multiple locations. This decentralized approach, paired with multi-operator capabilities, would enable seamless vehicle-to-cloud communication and real-time data processing—both essential for the industry’s most demanding applications.
The AECC’s recommendations follow its deepening partnership with GSMA Fusion, a GSMA Open Gateway initiative aimed at aligning mobile infrastructure with the needs of industries undergoing digital transformation. The two organizations formalized their cooperation in October 2024, with plans to refine deployment priorities and implementation timelines.
The AECC’s vision for the future will take center stage at MWC 2025, where Dr. Muriel Desaeger of Toyota Motor Europe will speak at the Connect 5G Summit. Additionally, the consortium will showcase four key automotive use cases at the GSMA Open Gateway demonstration area, including advances in IoT connectivity, low-latency communication, dynamic network resource management, and multi-access edge computing (MEC) interoperability.
With connected vehicles poised to generate exponentially more data, AECC’s call to action signals a pivotal moment for mobile operators, automakers, and technology providers. The industry now faces an urgent question: will mobile networks evolve fast enough to keep pace with the future of mobility?