BMW looks into satellite-based Internet service

MUNICH, Germany — BMW Group could turn to space to ensure its connected vehicles stay online.

The German automaker is exploring plans to bring satellite-based Internet access to its sedans and crossovers, said Stephan Durach, senior vice president of BMW Group's connected company development unit.

Customers expect a stable Internet connection at all times, Durach said at a media briefing here last month.

So-called nonterrestrial network technology offers the potential for seamless connectivity, and BMW is evaluating future applications and partnership possibilities.

"We're looking at satellite communication, especially in an environment where cellphone reception is not good," Durach said. "A lot of places in Europe and the U.S., you don't have sufficient coverage."

Robust in-vehicle Internet connectivity is now table stakes as automakers rely on over-the-air software updates to unlock features and dish out digital services like video streaming.

But for now, the high cost and limited data transmission capacity make satellite-based Internet service the "connection of last resort," said Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst at Guidehouse Insights.

"If you break down or run out of battery power in the middle of Nebraska where there's no cell coverage, satellite connectivity will allow you to send a message for roadside assistance," Abuelsamid said. "It's peace of mind."

Abuelsamid doesn't see automakers leaning on satellite connectivity for vehicle data transmission, just yet.

"Most of the data an automaker would want to transmit is not time-sensitive," he said. "They can cache it until the car is back in wireless service range."

The auto industry's emerging demand for always-on Internet connectivity is fueling private investment.

Elon Musk's Starlink service beams down high-speed broadband to the remotest corners of the planet via a constellation of 3,000-plus satellites hovering 340 miles above in low Earth orbit.

Meanwhile, China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's space technology unit has launched a commercial low-orbit satellite network to deliver Internet, navigation and cloud computing capabilities to cars with autonomous driving technology.

Automakers are experimenting with in-vehicle satellite connectivity.

In 2016, Toyota showed off a Mirai-based concept car with a satellite connection. Partnering with Kymeta, of Redmond, Wash., Toyota replaced the traditional, bulky dish antenna with special software and a sleek flat-panel roof antenna.

With no moving parts, the "electronically steered" antenna can track the satellite while receiving and sending Internet data as a vehicle travels at more than 100 mph, Kymeta said.

Toyota Ventures has invested in Xona Space Systems of San Mateo, Calif., primarily to improve location data for automated vehicles.

"Xona is building a high-performance alternative to GPS designed to support the needs of modern autonomous systems," Jim Adler, Toyota Ventures' founding managing director, told Automotive News earlier this year.

Xona's satellites can support what Adler called "all-weather autonomy" for safer AV operation in conditions such as heavy rain and snow.

The complexity involved in connecting a moving vehicle to orbiting satellites is not trivial.

Challenges include ensuring interoperability between multiple satellite networks and making the seamless hand-off between terrestrial and nonterrestrial networks.

"Technology-wise, you need a pretty tricky field array antenna which is looking for the satellites," Durach said. "We are trying to figure out if we can find a meaningful application in the car."

But as satellite infrastructure goes up, the cost is coming down.

In the past, the base station was too expensive, Durach said. Now, operators are "putting more technology up in orbit to lower the prices for the terminal on the ground."