On Thursday, October 15, 2026, satellite communications operator Viasat, Inc. was named the recipient of the “Connected Car Innovation of the Year” award in the 7th annual AutoTech Breakthrough Awards program.
Automotive NTN Integration and Industry Heritage The award recognizes Viasat’s efforts to extend vehicle connectivity beyond terrestrial cellular networks by embedding non-terrestrial links into mainstream automotive electronics.
Technical Architecture and Telemetry Specifications Viasat’s automotive NTN solution integrates satellite access with existing telematics control units (TCUs) using mainstream cellular hardware: Constellation Layer: Employs Viasat’s geostationary L-band satellite network to deliver a ubiquitous safety and communication overlay.
Market Outlook and Commercial Scaling By removing the requirement for specialized vehicular satellite dishes, Viasat aims to lower integration barriers for automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
As carmakers accelerate the transition to software-defined vehicles, standards-based NTN integration provides an automated failsafe for emergency SOS communications, remote software diagnostics, and logistics fleet tracking in rural, offshore, or off-grid environments.