{"id":644434,"date":"2026-05-04T11:00:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T09:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=644434"},"modified":"2026-05-04T11:01:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T09:01:29","slug":"new-money-spinner-for-mobile-networks-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/cellular\/644434-new-money-spinner-for-mobile-networks-in-south-africa.html","title":{"rendered":"New money spinner for mobile networks in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The increase in cars with built-in Internet connectivity is expected to boost cellular network providers’ Internet-of-Things (IoT) revenues over the next few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past two decades, the automotive industry has increasingly moved away from hardware-defined to software-defined vehicle experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardware engineering and design, including the vehicle chassis, engines, and drivetrains, were previously major differentiators between models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improvements in automated manufacturing and software-backed design have simplified some of these aspects, while carmakers have become increasingly willing to share their underlying hardware platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the same time, computer processing power has improved substantially, opening opportunities for software-based enhancements in the vehicle driving and infotainment experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For vehicle owners in the world’s largest vehicle market \u2014 China \u2014 seamless and intuitive software has become a core part of their buying decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many in-car software platforms benefit from Internet connectivity for entertainment and productivity apps, as well as remote updates for the infotainment and driving systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BMW was the first company to integrate cellular SIM cards into its vehicles for telematics in 2004. It showcased full browser capability on its ConnectedDrive software at CeBIT 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, all the world’s major carmakers have adopted Internet-in-the-car in their higher-end models. In some cases, the capability has filtered down to more affordable models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cellular modems in cars are typically not more powerful than those found in smartphones, which means they don’t offer an advantage in data speeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, they are connected to larger antennas and can benefit from the car battery’s ample power, enabling a more stable Internet connection while in motion than a phone could provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to ensuring the car remains online for longer periods, the car’s connection can also act as a hotspot for other devices in the vehicle, such as passengers’ smartphones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International operators like AT&T have already rolled out plans specifically for in-car Wi-Fi, including an uncapped package at $15 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africa’s largest network sees long-term potential<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The Toyota Connect app in the US supports remote control capabilities for certain models equipped with SIM cards.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Built-in Internet connectivity further enables over-the-air software updates to fix bugs and add new features, improving the car’s capabilities and user experience over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many high-end models can also have some of their functions controlled remotely through their Internet connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That allows users to start their engines, turn their cars on or off, open or close their windows, or switch on the air conditioning or heating through a mobile app. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

South African vehicle tracking and telematics company Netstar also highlighted that integrated online connectivity has benefits for security and road safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connected cars can benefit from real-time vehicle tracking, automated SOS calls in accidents, and cybersecurity updates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They could also warn drivers when entering a crime hotspot, such as areas where hijackings or smash-and-grabs are prevalent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A future use case is vehicle-to-vehicle communication, which could allow different drivers’ cars to share intelligence on traffic and road conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africa’s largest mobile network, Vodacom, already supports vehicle connectivity use-cases across its IoT portfolio, including for Netstar and Toyota South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its IoT offering includes telematics, tracking, fleet management, and secure managed connectivity solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vodacom said these deployments were primarily focused on managed IoT connectivity and value\u2011added vehicle services, rather than consumer infotainment connectivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The network regards in\u2011car connectivity as a meaningful long\u2011term opportunity, but not an immediate step\u2011change revenue driver in South Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company said the impact will likely be incremental rather than transformational in the short to medium term, with local factors influencing adoption, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Coverage expectations<\/strong> \u2014 Vehicles travel long-distance routes and traverse mixed urban\u2011rural environments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • A fragmented vehicle market<\/strong> \u2014 South Africa has a wide mix of OEMs, legacy vehicles, and different technology standards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The need for robust security and data protection<\/strong> \u2014 Vehicle and personal data can be sensitive in nature. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    As a result of these factors, progress is expected to be steady rather than immediate, and success depends heavily on collaboration across mobile networks, OEMs, and solution partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    “Where we see clearer momentum today is in fleet, telematics, security, and managed IoT use cases, which are already scaling,” Vodacom said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    EV adoption could boost segment growth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"
    Two electric cars and a plug-in hybrid at a charging station in Pretoria. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Vodacom believes the opportunity lies primarily in value\u2011added services rather than in standalone data products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    “Globally, we see a shift away from standalone connectivity towards OEM\u2011led, bundled, and platform\u2011 based models,” it said. “We expect South Africa to follow a similar trajectory as the ecosystem matures.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    “Any future consumer\u2011facing propositions would need to offer clear value, simplicity, predictable costs, and strong security, in line with customer expectations in South Africa.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Vodacom also said electric vehicle (EV) adoption would significantly increase the importance of reliable in\u2011car connectivity, presenting a strong opportunity for mobile networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    “EVs rely more heavily on software, apps, and remote monitoring than traditional vehicles \u2014 from battery management and charging to navigation, infotainment, and over\u2011the\u2011air updates,” it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    “As EV adoption grows, connectivity moves from being a ‘nice to have’ to a core part of the ownership experience.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In addition to enabling remote monitoring of battery charge levels, Internet connectivity in EVs can allow users to consume entertainment content \u2014 like games and video streaming \u2014 while they wait to charge. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The increase in cars with built-in Internet connectivity is expected to boost cellular network providers’ Internet-of-Things (IoT) revenues over the next few years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":341042,"featured_media":644558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,50977,29366],"tags":[104920,99497,104923,55538,104936,11919,41],"class_list":["post-644434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cellular","category-internet-of-things","category-motoring","tag-in-car-connectivity","tag-internet-in-the-car-iitc","tag-internet-of-things-2","tag-netstar","tag-remote-car-controls","tag-toyota","tag-vodacom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644434"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/341042"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=644434"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":644766,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644434\/revisions\/644766"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/644558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=644434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=644434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=644434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}