Skylo Expands Into Automotive Connectivity with BMW, Qualcomm, Deutsche Telekom, HARMAN, and More
Skylo Technologies, a global leader in direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity with over 5 million commercially activated devices, is making a bold move into the automotive sector. Building on its success in enabling satellite messaging for smartphones, Skylo is now bringing its scalable, reliable, and easy-to-integrate connectivity to vehicles. This strategic push marks the next major phase in Skylo’s mission to power ubiquitous connectivity—especially in safety-critical applications such as diagnostics, emergency services, and real-time hazard communications—by leveraging embedded vehicle antennas and partnerships with existing chipset suppliers.
As part of this initiative, Skylo recently became a member of the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), a global cross-industry organization working to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility and transport services. The company will make its official automotive debut at the upcoming 5GAA F2F (Face-to-Face) week in Paris on May 15, 2025, where it plans to showcase multiple live demonstrations in commercially available vehicles. These demonstrations will highlight Skylo’s vision for transforming vehicle connectivity through satellite-enabled networks.
Powering Always-On Vehicle Connectivity with BMW Group and Deutsche Telekom
Skylo’s automotive roadmap kicks off with a significant collaboration between the BMW Group and Deutsche Telekom, focused on integrating seamless non-terrestrial network (NTN) connectivity into production vehicles. At the 5GAA event, the BMW iX2 will serve as a live example, showcasing real-time messaging, vehicle status updates, and hazard warnings transmitted over satellite using Skylo’s network. The vehicle will maintain its standard SIM, provided by Deutsche Telekom, and demonstrate seamless fallback from terrestrial cellular coverage to satellite, ensuring consistent connectivity even in remote or signal-dead zones.
Jens Olejak, Satellite IoT Program Lead at Deutsche Telekom, emphasized the importance of the partnership:
“The cooperation with BMW Group and Skylo demonstrates what satellite connectivity for the Internet of Things already offers today. We are providing the IoT connectivity for this demonstration. Skylo is one of our partners for NB-NTN, fail-safe connectivity via geostationary satellites. It is essential for important safety functions such as real-time hazard warnings in cars. Skylo is also a roaming partner in our global ‘network of networks’ ecosystem, the foundation for IoT applications of all kinds.”
This collaboration is a key step toward establishing a resilient vehicle communication system that works even beyond the limits of cellular infrastructure, directly supporting V2X and critical safety protocols.
Building Scalable, Future-Proof Connectivity Solutions with Cubic³ and Qualcomm
To ensure automotive OEMs can implement robust, future-ready solutions, Skylo is also working with Cubic³ and Qualcomm Technologies on the industry’s first unified eSIM solution for vehicles. This 3GPP Release 17-compliant eSIM enables seamless connectivity across both terrestrial and satellite networks—without requiring hardware upgrades or network-specific modules.
At the heart of this integration is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon® Auto 5G Modem-RF system, which will be paired with Rolling Wireless’s RN951Y 5G Rel-17 module. This allows for a single solution that ensures vehicles stay connected wherever there’s a clear line of sight to the sky—whether crossing rural landscapes, deserts, or high-altitude terrain.
Barry Napier, CEO of Cubic³, described the breakthrough:
“We’re excited to unveil the world’s first automotive-grade solution that delivers seamless connectivity across both terrestrial cellular and non-terrestrial networks (NTN)—marking a major milestone in enabling a truly ubiquitous network for connected cars. Our collaboration with Skylo has centered on redefining the limits of global vehicle connectivity. Last year, we announced our vision to bring satellite connectivity to vehicles, ensuring seamless coverage where cellular networks can’t reach—and today, we’ve made that vision a reality.”
This scalable solution is expected to accelerate the deployment of connected vehicle services globally, particularly in regions where mobile networks are sparse or unreliable.
Enhancing Emergency Services Through Satellite Connectivity with HARMAN
In addition to always-on connectivity and scalability, Skylo is addressing another critical use case—emergency services. Working with HARMAN, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Skylo is integrating satellite connectivity directly into the HARMAN Ready Connect telematics control unit (TCU). The result is a system capable of bidirectional emergency messaging and alert reception even in cellular dead zones.
During the Paris demo, the TCU-equipped vehicle will demonstrate real-time emergency updates, such as weather warnings or location-based alerts, over the Skylo satellite network. This feature can prove invaluable for drivers and passengers traveling in off-grid environments, where traditional emergency communications would otherwise be unavailable.
Skylo and HARMAN first revealed their partnership in early 2025. Their joint efforts support HARMAN’s mission to deliver “Consumer Experiences. Automotive Grade.”, reinforcing the notion that connectivity isn’t just an extra feature—it’s essential infrastructure for the modern vehicle experience.
Driving Innovation with Qualcomm’s Next-Gen Automotive Platforms
Skylo is also leveraging Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2, which recently achieved certification for satellite-enabled functionality. The new platform features up to 200 MHz of network capacity, enabling ultra-reliable, low-latency connections that support not only enhanced safety features but also immersive infotainment and intelligent navigation systems.
One of the highlights of the upcoming 5GAA demo will be the world’s first demonstration of seamless switching between terrestrial and satellite coverage using a single SIM—paving the way for fully integrated, always-connected mobility solutions.
Jeff Arnold, Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, explained:
“Our ongoing collaboration with Skylo and Cubic³ has helped introduce satellite connectivity to vehicles. We are pleased to now achieve a world-first with a unified terrestrial and satellite solution on Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2. This milestone underscores our commitment to providing automakers and drivers with an always-on connected experience aimed at providing a convenient and safe riding experience.”
Advanced Voice and Media Capabilities with Fraunhofer IIS
Skylo’s partnership with Fraunhofer IIS, a pioneer in audio and communication technologies and a fellow 5GAA member, further expands the functionality of satellite-connected vehicles. Together, they are enabling support for AI-assisted NESC voice codecs over Skylo’s NTN satellite network. This breakthrough will allow for high-quality voice calls and audio messages from vehicles even in areas completely out of cellular reach.
Manfred Lutzky, Head of Audio for Communications at Fraunhofer IIS, commented:
“By enabling Fraunhofer’s AI-assisted NESC codec on NTN, we are bringing high-quality voice experiences, previously only possible on terrestrial networks, to Skylo’s satellite-based service. This will make voice-enabled automotive emergency use cases a reality, allowing car manufacturers to offer unprecedented levels of safety and comfort to their customers.”
This development holds particular promise for enhancing driver assistance systems and hands-free emergency calling features, which rely on clear and reliable voice communication.
A Unified Ecosystem for the Future of Automotive Connectivity
All these demonstrations are being supported by Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications and a member of 5GAA. Viasat’s infrastructure will provide the critical satellite link for the upcoming showcases, including the BMW iX2 demo vehicle branded with Skylo insignia during the 5GAA media event at Télécom Paris.
Skylo CEO and Co-Founder Parth Trivedi emphasized the significance of these developments and the company’s role in shaping the future of connected mobility:
“We are honored to join the 5GAA and take a leadership role as the Association works to build a standards-based foundation for satellite connectivity that the automotive industry can adopt.”
As Skylo continues to build out its automotive strategy, it is setting a new standard for global vehicle connectivity—one that is resilient, intelligent, and universally accessible. With partners spanning every layer of the connected car ecosystem, from chipsets and modules to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, Skylo is positioning itself as a central enabler of the satellite-connected mobility revolution.
About Skylo
Skylo Technologies is a global Non-Terrestrial Network service provider based in Mountain View, CA, offering a service that allows smartphones and IoT cellular devices to connect directly over existing satellites. Devices connected over satellite are managed and served by Skylo’s commercial NTN vRAN, featuring a 3GPP standards-based cloud-native base station and core. Skylo works with existing satellite operators, network operators, and device makers to provide subscribers an anywhere, anytime connectivity solution between terrestrial and satellite networks. Skylo’s focus is on enabling connected services for people outdoors and connected workflows for machines at work across critical industries such as agriculture, maritime, logistics, mining, and others, in addition to mass-market consumer devices. For more information, visit www.skylo.tech.
Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
Qualcomm, Qualcomm Dragonwing, Snapdragon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.
Media representatives are invited to attend an exclusive 5GAA F2F media tour in Paris to experience the Skylo demonstrations firsthand on 15 May 2025, at 10:30 AM CEST. If you are interested in joining the tour or would like to request interviews with 5GAA members, please contact 5GAA at: [email protected].
