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g · NetworksCurated

Skylo offers SMS on smartphones even without a mobile network

Summary

At CES 2025 Skylo Technologies put its satellite network for SMS on normal smartphones into international operation. Unlike Apple’s emergency service via Globalstar, Skylo relies on 3GPP standards (Release 17) and uses spectrum from satellite operators such as Viasat and EchoStar instead of its own satellites. In November 2024, together with Telekom and Qualcomm, Skylo had transmitted an SMS via a geostationary satellite into the network of the Telekom subsidiary Cosmote.

Ideas

  • Direct-to-device connects unmodified smartphones directly with satellites.
  • Standards compliance opens the service to many chip and device manufacturers.
  • A provider without its own satellites buys capacity from operators.
  • Apple’s iPhone 14 triggered the race for satellite features in 2022.

Insights

  • In the mobile industry, open standards usually prevail over isolated solutions.
  • Satellite SMS closes coverage gaps for emergencies, not for everyday traffic.

Facts

  • Skylo uses capacity from Terrestar, Viasat, Ligado and EchoStar.
  • The test ran via a GEO satellite according to 3GPP Release 17.

References

Critique

  • The report gives the announcement date as 2024 instead of 2025 and says nothing about costs for users.

Recommendations

  • For outdoor or emergency planning, check whether your smartphone and tariff support satellite SMS.
  • Do not rely on a single communication technology for emergencies.

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