A Peek At The Future: Kymeta, Intelsat Roll Their Connected Car Into Town

Boats, planes, trains of automobiles: Soon you be could be as connected to the Internet on the move as you are at home or in the office, even if you are in the middle of nowhere. At least that’s the promise of emerging technology that rolled — quite literally — through Miami this week.

Intelsat, the world’s largest commercial satellite provider, and Kymeta, a company that makes “smart” antenna systems for satellite applications, have partnered on the new technology to bring high-speed connectivity to cars as well as other modes of transportation.

Executives showed off their “Connected Car” prototype outside the Intelsat offices in Coral Gables, as well as in other places around South Florida, as part of a cross-country road trip ending next week at the Satellite Week conference in Washington, D.C.

Whether it’s the kids downloading movies or streaming Pandora in the back seat, the car’s software and firmware being automatically updated or vehicles able to share real-time traffic information, the use cases for the connected car are only just starting to be realized. “This is just the beginning; that is why we are really thrilled,” said Carmen González-Sanfeliu, Intelsat’s regional vice president for Latin America & Caribbean.

In the race for a connected world, these companies and their partners are betting that the future of the connected car — as well as boats and planes — is satellite-enabled. “The willingness to get the Internet across the planet is here. It’s about doing it efficiently,” said Kymeta’s vice president of maritime, Hakan Olsson.