The automotive industry is one of the pioneering fields for the use of autonomous systems. Whether in test operations in North Rhine-Westphalia, fleet management or networked production environments, connectivity is the basis for vehicles to interact safely, efficiently and in real time in the future. With its 5G portfolio and experience from test fields such as the 5G Mobility Lab at the Aldenhoven Testing Center, Vodafone plays a central role in this ecosystem. At XPONENTIAL Europe 2026, the company will demonstrate how 5G and upcoming network technologies are driving the development of automated and autonomous driving functions.
1. What overarching role does Vodafone see itself playing in the automotive ecosystem surrounding automated and autonomous driving: from test fields to series production?
Michael Bösinger: "Our networks make connected mobility possible – from initial testing to deployment on the roads. Modern mobile networks ensure that vehicles, traffic lights and digital services can communicate with each other. We use our networks to connect cars with cloud services, mobility platforms and other partners. We work closely with industry and research in test fields such as the Vodafone 5G Mobility Lab at the Aldenhoven Testing Centre. In this way, we are helping to make automated and autonomous driving safe and suitable for everyday use."
2. Which specific network features (e.g. ultra-low latency, edge computing, network slicing) does Vodafone already provide for automotive use cases today, and where do you see the greatest leverage for security, availability and cost reduction?
Stephan Schneider: "Vodafone provides various 5G and edge technologies that are important for self-driving cars. These include connections with particularly short response times (ultra-low latency), which ensure safety. In addition, edge computing allows us to process data directly in the network. With network slicing, we can also offer a special fast lane for data transmission in the network, which prioritises services and is useful for remote control of vehicles, for example. This is complemented by secure and scalable cloud backends, which Vodafone uses for automotive services such as Assist or Analytics."
3. Wie unterstützt Vodafone die Vernetzung zwischen Fahrzeug, Infrastruktur und Cloud (V2X/Cellular V2X)? Welche Meilensteine haben Sie sich gemeinsam mit Partnern der XPONENTIAL Europe bis 2026 vorgenommen?
Michael Bösinger: "Vodafone supports Vehicle to Everything communication (V2X/C-V2X) based on standardised 5G technologies and is setting up test fields, research partnerships and cloud infrastructures for this purpose. As a platinum member of the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), Vodafone is also involved in the development of interoperable technologies and is in close contact with the mobile communications and automotive industries. To this end, Vodafone is developing its own open V2X platform (STEP – Safer Transport for Europe Platform), which is available both publicly and in secure test fields such as the 5G Mobility Lab for the development of applications for connected mobility and is used intensively by renowned OEMs and transport infrastructure manufacturers.
As a partner at XPONENTIAL Europe, Vodafone is therefore positioning itself not only as a network provider, but also as a bridge between industry players, developers, institutions and academia who are working together on architectures for connected and autonomous mobility. Its presence at XPONENTIAL Europe allows Vodafone to meet new players in this field, discuss new approaches to solutions through the integration of the technologies presented, and discover new concepts and partners for market-ready implementation."
4. Vodafone is closely involved in test fields such as the Aldenhoven Testing Centre. What role do such real-world laboratories play in the transfer from research to the market?
Stephan Schneider: "Even though more and more vehicle development and testing are taking place in virtual environments, it remains necessary to test their effectiveness under real-world conditions and expose them to real traffic situations. Real-world laboratories play a central role in this, as they replicate realistic conditions such as cell changes, sources of interference and real traffic scenarios, thereby enabling a better understanding and greater acceptance of new technologies. At the same time, they enable rapid iteration between the network, vehicle and cloud, which is particularly crucial for software-defined vehicle architectures.
In addition, low-latency and edge architectures and applications can be validated under real-world conditions before OEMs move into scaling and series development. Another important aspect is the opportunity for cross-industry collaboration between universities, suppliers, the tech industry and mobile network operators at such test fields. Overall, test fields such as the Vodafone 5G Mobility Lab at the Aldenhoven Testing Centre serve as catalysts for securing technologies at an early stage, developing regulatory frameworks and preparing ecosystem partners for series production."
