Intelsat and Cubic3 Advance Vehicle Connectivity with Successful Satellite Integration Test

Intelsat and Cubic3 Advance Vehicle Connectivity with Successful Satellite Integration Test
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 15, 2025

Intelsat and Cubic3 have announced the successful completion of a critical satellite connectivity test for vehicles, marking a significant step in their efforts to deliver seamless, global vehicle connectivity. The test validated the integration of Intelsat's satellite systems with Cubic3's software platform, demonstrating how terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks can work together to provide continuous, reliable connectivity regardless of location.

"Our Memorandum of Understanding and successful test brings us closer to our vision of truly ubiquitous connectivity," said Bruno Fromont, Intelsat Chief Technology Officer. "By combining Intelsat's satellite expertise with Cubic3's innovative connectivity platform, we're creating solutions that will keep vehicles connected anywhere in the world, enabling critical functions from broadband connectivity, diagnostics to eventually supporting autonomous driving capabilities."

The test centered on a commercial land mobile application using Intelsat's Flex Move Fleet product integrated with the Cubic3 Cloud interface. This demonstration showcased the feasibility of hybrid connectivity solutions for heavy machinery customers, offering a path toward customized connectivity options that leverage both terrestrial cellular and satellite networks.

The collaboration aims to address a critical connectivity gap for modern vehicles, which often require separate devices and accounts to switch between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. By unifying these platforms, Intelsat, Cubic3, and SoftBank Corp. are working to eliminate this fragmentation, offering a seamless, one-account solution for global connectivity.

Nick Power, Chief Technology Officer at Cubic3, emphasized the importance of this milestone: "Our work with Intelsat is foundational to delivering on the promise of software-defined vehicles. Car manufacturers need global, high-speed, always-on connectivity to transform into software-first entities and meet evolving consumer mobility demands. This test demonstrates how our technologies can work together to enable that future."

Initially, the integrated solution will utilize geostationary (GEO) satellites for applications like fleet management, telematics, predictive maintenance, and software updates in areas beyond terrestrial coverage. As low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations become operational, the system will expand to support high-bandwidth applications such as high-definition map downloads and cloud-based diagnostics using digital twin technologies.

This collaboration builds on the 2024 agreement between SoftBank Corp. and Intelsat to establish a single "Ubiquitous Network," leveraging standardized architectures and processes to streamline connectivity across terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. This approach is designed to accelerate the commercial rollout of next-generation mobility solutions based on emerging 3GPP 5G standards.