An interesting development given that direct-to-device comms are usually associated with low-Earth orbit satellites
Deutsche Telekom (DT), Qualcomm and Skylo, a pioneer in Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) communications, have completed a trial of sending and receiving SMS to and from a smartphone via GEO satellite. They say this is the first time in Europe that an operator’s terrestrial mobile network has been integrated into a satellite network to enable texting based on the 3GPP Release 17 specifications for direct-to-handset (D2H) connectivity.
Technical set-up
The proof of concept was conducted in Greece at Deutsche Telekom’s Cosmote subsidiary. In the test, the SMS was sent from a device with a Cosmote SIM card via Skylo’s satellite network in Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum based technically on 3GPP Release 17 specifications. The device was equipped with the Snapdragon X-80 5G Modem-RF System and integrated NB-NTN satellite connectivity.
To enable seamless roaming between the 5G terrestrial networks and satellite networks, Skylo’s commercially available NTN was integrated into Cosmote’s production network. The key advantage of dedicated, licensed MSS spectrum for connectivity is that it can be used on a pan-European basis, circumventing the challenges of coordinating international cross-border spectrum.
It should also ensure ubiquitous coverage for customers in rural or rugged areas with white spots and support emergency communications or disaster response scenarios.
Perhaps more interesting is the fact that the trail used a geostationary, rather than a low-Earth, satellite for the direct-to-handset trial. LEOs, not GEOs, are more associated with the DTH technology.
Into the hands of customers
Antje Williams, SVP Business Creation, Group Technology at Deutsche Telekom, said, “We aim to bring this technology into the hands of our customers. The successful effort of our team together with our partners to integrate the satellite and cellular network is just the beginning.”
Parthsarathi Trivedi, CEO and co-founder of Skylo Technologies, said, “Soon, subscribers won’t have to think twice about coverage before texting, whether they’re on a remote island in Greece or venturing in[to] regions without cell coverage – it’ll be a part of their cellular service. The future of satellite connectivity is strong integration into carrier networks.”
“Together, we achieved NB-NTN direct-to-handset messaging using a device powered by the Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System, strengthening the use of smartphone satellite connectivity,” said Dino Flore, Vice President, Technology at Qualcomm Europe, Inc.