Telecom carriers, BMW launch 1st data plan for cars

A customer browses through various video content streaming services from the backseat of a BMW vehicle using an in-car eSIM plan. (SK Telecom)

South Korea's three largest mobile carriers -- SK Telecom, KT Corp. and LG Uplus -- said on Tuesday that they will launch the country’s first personal embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM) data plans for BMW vehicles.

While the German luxury carmaker’s 7 series and above already feature fifth-generation connectivity via eSIM, the new data plans will enable backseat passengers to enjoy a variety of mobile content through built-in monitors without a separate physical chip, according to the mobile carriers and BMW Korea.

Data plans for connected cars had traditionally been settled on a business-to-business basis between vehicle manufacturers and mobile carriers, but the newly launched plan allows telecommunications giants to sell in-car plans directly to consumers.

Consumers can choose from five types of monthly plans ranging from 250 megabytes to 150 gigabytes among the three telecom carriers. If all provided data is used, they can continue to use it within the data-sharing limit of the parent line.

Users of vehicles equipped with Operating System 8, BMW's latest self-developed in-car software, can subscribe to an in-car personal support service via the MyBMW application, the carmaker said.

Once logged in with a user ID in the vehicle, users can also watch video clips and even use Wi-Fi hotspots. They will be also given access to various services and content built into the BMW Theater Screen, the BMW 7 series’ entertainment system, without a separate network connection.

KT officials said that the launch of 5G-connected car plans in collaboration with BMW has opened up a new era of combining communication and infotainment. SKT also described the BMW eSIM plan as the first vehicle service to provide convenience to customers in preparation for the era of autonomous driving and the expansion of in-car entertainment devices.

"We are pleased to collaborate with the telecom companies to provide high-quality mobile services to BMW customers in Korea," BMW Korea CEO Han Sang-yun said. “Customers of the new BMW 7 Series will be able to enjoy a new level of in-car digital experience through the state-of-the-art services of the three telecom carriers.”