How Data From Space Is Transforming Mobility Services

By Lorenzo Danese and Stefania Ratti

The satellite industry has been transformed in recent years from one with a few, mostly government-controlled, high-orbit vehicles into one with a proliferation of smaller, low-orbit constellations of multiple satellites dominated by commercial enterprises. All that has given the global economy and mobility systems in particular access to new data and applications that are leading to major efficiencies in the operation of various networks and ultimately better service for end users.. They include everything from systems that monitor airport operations and provide dynamic roadway traffic management to automated rail and public transport services that enable automated ticketing and trip planning. By our estimates, these markets should see annual growth of 5% to 10% through 2030, but they need more players with vision to realize their true potential.

Space-based mobility systems are ushering in not only a new era of data availability but also a new ecosystem of providers looking to replace current capabilities. The new players are operating in such areas as fleet management, advanced driver assistance systems, public transport, emergency assistance, insurance telematics, bike sharing, and congestion control, and as space-based data collection expands so do the possibilities for new services. Space-based technologies is one of nine megatrends analyzed in our 2024 report on sustainable mobility, “Fast-Tracking The Mobility Revolution,” written in collaborations with mobility and infrastructure operator

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) — constellations that provide positioning, navigation, and timing data for a host of transportation networks and individual vehicles — has spawn new technology and services markets that already total over $460 billion Mundys SpA.

A plethora of space-based data possibilities

GNSS data has been available to the public free of charge for years. But two innovations have opened new possibilities for its use. First, the ability to process data has significantly improved. Next, there has been a steep reduction in the cost of launching satellites, leading to the creation of more privately held constellations and the ability to collect even more accurate data. Couple that with the higher expectations of mobility consumers for personalized services and the development of new data-driven mobility solutions using space data seems an inevitability.

By far, the two biggest segments for these new services are consumer applications in tourism and healthcare, including fitness apps, and road and automotive management. They make up more than 90% of today’s space-based mobility services marketplace. For instance, the big users or potential users in automotive and roadway management are fleet operators, traffic enforcement, toll collection, insurance companies, and car owners themselves.

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But the market is changing rapidly as more companies become knowledgeable about the data-collection possibilities in space. If there is one thing holding growth back, it’s this lack of awareness of the possibilities among enterprises with the wherewithal to develop them.

New markets opening up

One of the newest sectors to enter the fray is aviation. Here, real-time data collected from satellites can prove an immense enhancement of navigational and weather monitoring capabilities. For airports, the space data is providing accurate positioning data for improved air traffic management and flight navigation, forecasting weather conditions, and enabling real-time communication between aircraft and ground control, even in remote areas.

Most of these are only on the cusp of reaching commercial scale. When they do, there is likely to be a good deal of market disruption for those not accessing the endless data space provides. Ultimately, space-based data could be the artificial intelligence of the next decade if companies can expand their vision on the possibilities.

Lorenzo Danese is a principal in Oliver Wyman’s Transportation and Services practice, and Stefania Ratti is the head of innovation at Mundys S.p.A.