Satellite connectivity in cars took a concrete step on 14 September. At World Space Business Week in Paris, Space42 and Viasat signed a binding agreement to found Equatys, a shared satellite network backed by up to $1bn in equity. Direct to device automotive now has a funded network plan behind it, with services expected from 2029.
This post looks at the coverage gaps terrestrial networks leave on the road and what satellite changes for emergency calls and OTA updates.
Direct to device automotive and the coverage gaps it fills
Direct to device (D2D) means a connected device reaches a satellite over the same 3GPP standards that govern mobile networks. Overall cellular coverage is well above 95%, according to Ookla data cited by Roger Lanctot, president of the Mobile Satellite Users Association. A vehicle can drive into the remaining gaps without warning.
Analysys Mason calls satellite the missing layer in the connected car market, covering coverage gaps, resilience and cross-border continuity. Its March 2026 strategy report sizes the opportunity at $74bn in cumulative retail revenue over 10 years.
Drivers appear willing to pay. Viasat’s June 2026 report says nearly 95% of drivers open to a connected-car bundle would also pay for satellite-enabled continuity, and 62% would accept a premium of 5 to 10%. Viasat sells satellite capacity, so read that as a vendor survey.
What the Paris announcement adds
Space42 and Viasat describe Equatys as a neutral, shared layer of satellites and ground infrastructure that mobile operators can use to offer voice, text and data where cellular networks are absent or thin. Between them they hold agreements with more than 400 mobile operators and access to more than 100MHz of coordinated mobile satellite spectrum. Each company will commit $400m on formation, and Space42 will add $200m tied to a later funding round open to outside investors. The design is meant to scale to 2,800 satellites. A spokesperson told Light Reading that services should start in 2029, and the venture still needs regulatory approval.
The announcement names smartphones and IoT devices as the target. Cars aren’t mentioned. Cubic3 has linked them to Equatys separately. In its February 2026 announcement with Viasat, Cubic3 said it intends to bring future 5G satellite services, such as video streaming, to the automotive market using Equatys.
One eSIM for cellular and satellite
A car that uses both networks needs one subscription identity that works on both. Cubic3 and Skylo introduced a unified automotive eSIM for terrestrial and satellite connectivity in May 2025, and the Cubic3 platform integrates cellular and satellite networks for carmakers. The mechanics of provisioning and switching profiles are covered in Cubic3’s guide to automotive eSIM management.
What changes for emergency calls and OTA updates
Emergency calls reach further
EU rules have required eCall in every new type of car and light commercial vehicle since 31 March 2018, according to Ireland’s Road Safety Authority. The system contacts 112 after a crash, provided the area is covered by a network. The European Space Agency runs a project testing next-generation eCall over satellite, because limited cellular coverage in remote areas can delay emergency response.
Satellite adds a second route. At a 5G Automotive Association event in Paris in 2025, BMW and Viasat demonstrated emergency messaging over satellite. Viasat’s Kevin Cohen said passengers could place emergency calls outside cellular coverage and vehicles could send automated alerts and their location after a collision. In February 2026, Cubic3, Viasat, Qualcomm and Fraunhofer IIS announced a satellite voice call demonstration for Mobile World Congress, run over a 3GPP-compliant satellite network.
The satellite link in the 2025 demonstration ran at 0.5 to 1 kbit/s over geostationary satellites, according to eeNews Europe. That suits short safety messages.
OTA updates stay on cellular for now
At 0.5 to 1 kbit/s, a 100MB software update would take more than nine days to arrive. A link that slow suits a recall flag or a prompt telling the vehicle to download the full package when cellular returns. Faster satellite data depends on the new constellations. Equatys is designed for voice, text and data, and Cubic3 and Viasat have named video streaming as a future service, so larger payloads over satellite are a question for the end of the decade.
When direct to device automotive reaches production
Lanctot wrote in May that automotive D2D won’t begin in earnest until 2027. Counterpoint Research reported that MediaTek expects satellite connectivity in cars in 2027 or 2028.
Ookla’s data shows satellite use on smartphones well below 1% where the service is available, with limits indoors and in motion. Cohen has noted that a clear line of sight to the sky is hard to get from inside a car, so antenna placement becomes a design decision for carmakers. Lanctot adds that the industry still lacks a headline use case, because consumers grasp an SOS button on foot more readily than automatic crash notification in a car.
Carmakers choosing 2027 platforms have two decisions to settle: which safety use case ships first, and how a single subscription covers both networks. For anyone building software-defined vehicles, both belong in the platform design now.
Frequently asked questions
1. What is direct to device automotive?
Direct to device automotive means a connected car reaches a satellite over the same 3GPP standards that govern mobile networks. It gives the vehicle a second route to the network when cellular coverage drops.
2. When will satellite connectivity reach production cars?
Space42 and Viasat expect Equatys services to start in 2029, subject to regulatory approval. Roger Lanctot of the Mobile Satellite Users Association expects automotive D2D to begin in earnest in 2027, and Counterpoint Research reported that MediaTek expects satellite connectivity in cars in 2027 or 2028.
3. Does Equatys cover cars?
The Equatys announcement names smartphones and IoT devices as the target and does not mention cars. In its February 2026 announcement with Viasat, Cubic3 said it intends to bring future 5G satellite services to the automotive market using Equatys.
4. How does satellite improve eCall?
eCall contacts 112 after a crash, provided a network covers the area. Satellite adds a second route where cellular coverage is limited. BMW and Viasat demonstrated emergency messaging over satellite in 2025, and the European Space Agency runs a project testing next-generation eCall over satellite.
5. Can satellite deliver software updates to a car?
Not for now. The 2025 BMW and Viasat demonstration ran at 0.5 to 1 kbit/s, so a 100MB update would take more than nine days to arrive. Satellite suits a recall flag or a prompt telling the vehicle to download the full package when cellular returns.
6. Does a car need a separate SIM for satellite?
No. Cubic3 and Skylo introduced a unified automotive eSIM for terrestrial and satellite connectivity in May 2025, so one subscription identity works on both networks. Cubic3’s guide to automotive eSIM management covers how profiles are provisioned and switched.
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