Overview
Driving connected vehicles
Honda is investing in connected vehicle services that customers increasingly expect to work seamlessly from day one and to keep working throughout ownership. In Australia, that ambition demanded a stronger foundation than an offshore roaming model could reliably provide, one that would help drive innovation, connectivity and data utilisation requirements.
Honda partnered with Telstra to establish a locally accountable model that helps to support connected services in Australian operating conditions and within local requirements. Rather than treating connectivity as a bolt on, both organisations aligned on what success needed to look like over time: a more dependable service performance, clear operational ownership and an approach that could scale across vehicle generations. This comes as connectivity in the industry is becoming more sophisticated, and support for greater complexity in customer requirements across technology, commercial, and regulatory are required.
That shift set the stage for a broader relationship built on trust and long-term planning, with Telstra supporting Honda not only to deliver its connected services but also to help prepare for what comes next in mobility.
Challenge
Scaling service complexity
As connected vehicle features became more central to customer experience and vehicle lifecycle management, Honda’s offshore roaming approach introduced friction that was difficult to manage at scale. Connection quality varied by location, service visibility was limited and resolving issues across borders slowed momentum.
The model also increased pressure on Honda teams. Supporting activation and ongoing service delivery required time and specialist attention that sat outside Honda’s core automotive focus. Provisioning outcomes were inconsistent, which created delays bringing vehicles online and disrupted the rollout of digital services across internal teams and dealer networks.
At the same time, operating across jurisdictions introduced regulatory risk. Meeting Australian obligations and maintaining clear accountability required deeper local expertise than an offshore model could easily provide.
With connected vehicle technology evolving quickly, Honda needed a foundation that could help support new vehicle generations and emerging services without compounding operational complexity.
We don't have the expertise in Australia around Connect, and we relied on Telstra's expertise to really support us there.
Jason Battye
Connected Care Program Manager, Honda
Solution
Enabling connected mobility
Telstra worked with Honda to deliver a locally supported connected vehicle capability designed for Australian conditions and obligations. The focus was not only to help improve service performance but also maintain clear accountability and support that Honda could rely on over the full vehicle lifecycle.
The solution combined local network architecture with backend integration to help enable connected services such as telematics, over the air updates and service diagnostics. With Telstra supporting on day to day management, Honda reduced internal load and gained a more dependable operating model for activation and ongoing service delivery.
Critically, Telstra brought local regulatory understanding into the design and delivery, helping ensure the solution aligned with Australian requirements as services scaled. This gave Honda confidence to extend connected services while maintaining consistency and control across its fleet.
Beyond the technology, the engagement reinforced Telstra’s role as an enabler rather than a supplier, supporting Honda’s roadmap and future vehicle generations.
We partnered with Telstra to build a system to help us meet our regulatory requirements, and having Telstra manage that for us was a huge help.
Jason Battye
Connected Care Program Manager, Honda
Approach
From plan to practice
Telstra and Honda began by aligning on outcomes: what connected services needed to deliver for customers, what operational ownership should look like and what constraints existed in the Australian environment. Discovery sessions mapped vehicle use cases, activation pain points, service dependencies and compliance obligations to define a clear success baseline.
Telstra then designed an Australian based IoT framework aligned to Honda’s vehicle roadmap, bringing together network design and backend integration to support service delivery from launch through ongoing ownership. Activation processes were reviewed and refined to address known failure points and help improve consistency at scale.
Delivery was managed through coordinated work across engineering, operations and account teams, introducing services in a controlled way to test, validate and adjust before broader rollout. Local operational support helped to ensure clear ownership and faster resolution, while ongoing engagement with Honda stakeholders-maintained alignment as needs evolved.
We couldn’t have done this on our own.
Jason Battye
Connected Care Program Manager, Honda
Impact
Results that matter
Honda now has a stronger foundation for delivering connected vehicle services in Australia with more consistent performance and improved activation outcomes. By moving to a locally supported operating model, Honda reduced internal effort associated with managing cross border issues, vendor coordination and service troubleshooting.
The program supports around 40,000 vehicles under a five-year multi million agreement and increased provisioning success from 20% to 80%, helping to enable smoother rollouts of digital services across Honda’s fleet. Helping to improve liability also supported better readiness at launch and stronger ongoing service delivery across the vehicle lifecycle.
Helping to improve regulatory confidence as connected services scaled, gave Honda assurance that its operating model better aligned to Australian requirements, while remaining adaptable as needs evolve.
Most importantly, the relationship has matured into a strategic partnership that supports Honda’s forward planning across future vehicle generations and expanded services, helping to enable innovation, supporting regulatory requirements and connectivity, reinforced through joint storytelling and future alignment.
What needs to be highlighted is how important Telstra were to us through the previous generation and into the future we’re now contemplating.
Jason Battye
Connected Care Program Manager, Honda
Related solutions and capabilities
IoT Capabilities
From devices and connectivity to platform and services, get the best of our industry-leading partner ecosystem to deliver a competitive advantage for your business.
Adaptive Mobility
Have the confidence to empower your staff to adopt new ways of working, introduce innovative services and use more intelligent enterprise applications with Telstra’s flexible Adaptive Mobility plans.
Connected Fleet
Discover smart and innovative fleet management solutions to help you run a smarter fleet, increase efficiency, become more resilient and stay compliant.