"In the smartphone world, Apple is shifting from a single device sale to additional services that can be provided throughout the life of that device," Walter-Range said. "So for a car, it's the same deal. You know, once you sell that car, are there additional revenue streams that you can get by providing services? Some of those services can be delivered from space."
One model is charging subscriptions for advanced driver assistance systems. General Motors' Super Cruise uses cameras, sensors and real-time location and map data from GPS satellites to allow the vehicle to do things like automatically steer and keep the car centered in a lane. In the company's fourth-quarter earnings report, GM CEO Mary Barra said the company expected that within the next five years, Super Cruise would bring in about $2 billion in annual revenue for the company.