Vodafone Business has extended its pan-European internet-in-the-car service to ten more countries, bringing the total number of countries where motor manufacturers can offer vehicles with reliable and secure internet to 32.

The new markets are Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco and Slovenia. Vodafone says it now offers customers the largest European footprint of any other provider for a service of this kind.

The service combines Vodafone’s global managed IoT connectivity platform, which has more than 187 million connections globally, with local internet service providers. This transforms a vehicle into fully functional internet access point that can power integrated in-car internet services for all popular apps, personalised infotainment and flexible wifi services.

It offers a local internet experience across Europe, often at no additional charge included with the car or as a pre-paid data plan. Users can access their local content wherever they travel through dynamic routing of data and an extensive roaming footprint. For the end user, this combines an integrated service experience with predictable and transparent costs no matter which phone or data plan they own, so they can continue to game, stream or catch up with work on long journeys.

“Vodafone Business internet in the car is the ideal road companion for manufacturers and motorists,” said Erik Brenneis, CEO of Vodafone IoT. “A Deloitte survey revealed that consumers would prefer to have digital connectivity bundled with the vehicle purchase price rather than having to pay a monthly subscription. Our service allows manufacturers to do just that. Also, with around 145 million connected passenger vehicles predicted by 2028, Vodafone Business is ideally positioned to support manufacturers in capturing this growth with one of the largest pan-European networks and a leading global IoT platform.”

Vodafone says by using its managed IoT connectivity platform and its network of partners, manufacturers can offer motorists a living room on wheels. Vodafone Business also takes care of all the necessary agreements with the local operators, providing car manufacturers with a compliant service, as well as saving them time and resources.

The service (www.vodafone.com/business/products/iot-connectivity/internet-in-the-car) complements Vodafone’s partnerships and initiatives covering the automotive sector. These include its pan-European vehicle safety platform, called Safer Transport for Europe Platform (Step). Step (de-he.step.vodafone.com) connects road users, vehicles and transport authorities directly to each other via third-party apps and in-vehicle navigation systems. Vodafone Business (www.vodafone.com) also has a technology partnership with Extreme E (www.extreme-e.com), an eco-conscious, all-electric motorsport series.

• Vodafone Spain had more than 7.37 million active IoT lines as of June 2024, with 1.6 million IoT lines activated between July 2023 and June 2024.