Vodafone and Geely are demonstrating that a secure automotive IoT future depends on private 5G and integrated cloud architectures.
The renewed agreement focuses on equipping Geely’s European R&D teams with the high-performance connectivity and cloud services they need — specifically Mobile Private Networks (MPNs) and cloud platforms. The aim is to accelerate vehicle development while rolling out the consumer-facing “Internet in the Car” services across Europe.
Geely Auto Group’s European research and engineering operations are led by Geely Technology Europe. Their teams design future vehicle platforms and run exhaustive tests on chassis dynamics, driver-assistance systems, and complex infotainment and software stacks.
That work generates enormous volumes of data: modern test vehicles produce terabytes of telemetry, sensor readings, and video. Engineers must capture, transfer, and analyze this data in near real time to validate systems and iterate quickly.
Public cellular networks are generally unsuitable for such demands. Variable bandwidth and unpredictable latency break the repeatability required for rigorous engineering tests. Security is also critical — sensitive vehicle designs and autonomous-driving code cannot travel over shared public connections.
To move fast without sacrificing safety, Geely needed a dedicated, high-capacity network within its facilities. The solution was a purpose-built private wireless infrastructure tailored for automotive R&D.
Building a hybrid edge-cloud for Geely’s automotive IoT
Under the expanded partnership, Vodafone is deploying a Mobile Private Network at Geely’s European sites. This creates a localized 5G environment that is isolated from public consumer traffic.
The private network offers the bandwidth and ultra-low latency required to evaluate vehicle-to-everything interactions, perform large over-the-air updates, and continuously collect performance logs from test fleets. Acting as the edge component, the MPN ensures that latency-sensitive processing occurs on-site rather than relying on round trips to remote data centers.
That edge capability is tightly linked to a cloud backend. The MPN serves as a secure, high-speed conduit, channeling the large datasets produced during testing into a centralized cloud environment.
Once in the cloud, engineers can run compute-intensive machine learning models, perform extensive telemetry analytics, simulate vehicle behavior at scale, and manage the vehicles’ full software lifecycle.
This combination of on-site MPN and cloud storage creates a comprehensive platform for automotive R&D. The private edge provides immediate, reliable connectivity while the cloud delivers the capacity and compute power needed for deep analysis and long-term retention.
From private 5G labs to global streets with Vodafone IoT connectivity
A complementary element of the agreement gives Vodafone responsibility for connectivity in Geely’s production vehicles across Europe, powering the “Internet in the Car” features.
Vodafone provides this through its global IoT platform, supplying SIMs and connectivity management that enable streaming, navigation, remote diagnostics, and other consumer services.
Using the same connectivity partner from lab to road creates a consistent technology pipeline. Solutions validated in controlled R&D environments can scale to hundreds of thousands of vehicles across multiple countries more smoothly, and supplier management becomes simpler.
Vodafone’s IoT platform also handles logistics like international roaming, device provisioning, and billing, reducing operational overhead for Geely’s engineering teams.
Automakers are evolving into sophisticated technology and software companies. Modern vehicles function as connected edge devices and require advanced network infrastructure for both development and daily operation.
Giovanni Lanfranchi, CEO of Geely Technology Europe, said: “We’ve moved beyond simple transport solutions. Today, vehicles can be continuously improved through software, with data and connectivity enabling a more responsive and personalised user experience over time.”
By deploying private 5G at the edge, manufacturers retain strict control over a crucial part of their development pipeline, enabling faster, safer testing. Connecting that private edge to the cloud provides the compute scale necessary to train AI models and analyze large datasets.
Managing the mix of cloud services, on-premises private networks, and globally connected fleets has become essential for any automaker aiming to compete on technology.
See also: Nokia and AWS power Tune Talk’s cloud-native 5G network
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