Digital Identity in Automotive

The Automotive Identity Group’s focus is on enabling a user to easily access their mobile, content and automotive services as they move between different cars, and in particular being able to seamlessly use their existing mobile subscription within cars that support a consumer eSIM, thereby allowing users to make and receive calls using their own mobile phone number and obtain data connectivity using their existing smartphone data bundle whilst mitigating some of the challenges of using smartphones reliably in cars for telephony and connectivity services.

With the right framework in place, the automotive industry could benefit from having mobile and automotive identities easily federated thereby opening up new opportunities across various use cases.

This provides an elegant solution for in-car consumer connectivity and opens up innovative business models around car sharing in which a car can be easily personalised to the user on-entry. For example, users could easily use their existing subscription within the car to make and receive calls using their mobile phone number and obtain data connectivity with their existing smartphone data bundle.

What the GSMA is doing

The GSMA is working on this framework and aims to ensure that it is extensible and can facilitate the wider use of a mobile identity across many other sectors and use cases (e.g., Travel and Hospitality).

Use Case Example

  • Enable a user to easily bring their mobile identity into a car so that they can make use of their existing MNO subscriptions for making and receiving calls and obtaining data connectivity using their existing data bundle

Automotive Identity Technical Specification – May 2022

Download the latest document which specifies an interface between Mobile Service Provider (MSP) and Car Mobility Provider (CMP) as part of the framework to enable mobile, content, and automotive services to be easily federated and provisioned into cars and accessed via authentication.

In particular, one of the key aims is to enable individuals to seamlessly use their mobile subscription and mobile services via an in-car system and consumer eSIM across multiple cars.

Download Specification

Key Benefits 

  • Provides better integration of the subscription and services in the car infotainment system compared to a smartphone (mirroring).
  • Simple setup and usage of telephony services in-car
  • Supports car personalization across individuals within a household
  • Enables the mobile subscription and services to be used without reliance on the smartphone (e.g., battery constraints)
  • Improves reception & data throughput within the car
  • Provides a framework for managing usage of enterprise mobile accounts and corporate vehicles
  • Enables re-use of a user’s existing data bundle
  • Creates clear separation between the connectivity provided for vehicle telematics/emergency services from that provided to the consumer for streaming content services etc.
  • Supports future business models orientated around car sharing/ rental by enabling a user to personalise a new car instantly on car-entry and move their mobile identity between cars seamlessly and easily
  • Removes burden of pairing/tethering smartphone to the car

Learn more about Auto & Mobility within IoT

You can find more automotive information within GSMA IoT.