Viasat and Cubic³, in association with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Fraunhofer IIS, today announced a demonstration of satellite-enabled voice calls over a 3GPP-compliant non-terrestrial satellite network for connected vehicles, planned to take place at Mobile World Congress 2026.
The demonstration will showcase a voice call conducted over satellite, enabling vehicles to maintain voice connectivity when cellular networks are patchy or unavailable. This milestone will show that voice communications – a critical benefit for driver safety and emergency access – can operate reliably beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.
The demo brings together several advanced technologies to demonstrate how always-on connectivity can be integrated into modern software-defined vehicles (SDVs). This includes Viasat’s highly reliable satellite network, Cubic³’s global connectivity management platform (CMP) and hybrid eSIM, Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon® Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2 platform and the NESC voice codec from Fraunhofer IIS, with additional technical support from Amarisoft.
By extending voice services beyond cellular coverage, automakers can ensure drivers remain connected for emergency assistance and critical safety applications, regardless of location. The demonstration also lays the foundation for future NTN-enabled vehicles as consumer expectations on data services increase and technology evolves to meet growing demand.
The collaboration builds on the partnership announced by Viasat and Cubic³ in June 2025, which combined satellite and terrestrial connectivity to support global vehicle communications. Cubic³ also intends to work with Viasat to bring future 5G-NR satellite services, such as video streaming and seamless voice calls, to the automotive market.
These future applications would leverage Equatys, a jointly held entity being founded by Viasat and Space42. Equatys is designed to enable seamless 5G connectivity across satellite and terrestrial networks, extending services to billions of people and devices globally.
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