McLean, Virginia-based Iridium has partnered with wireless technology company Qualcomm Technologies to develop satellite messaging for smartphones.
It is being developed in coordination with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon mobile platform.
The companies cite the fact that 85% of the Earth’s surface is without cellular coverage. Satellite-equipped smartphones would be capable of accessing global coverage for sending emergency messages and texting with coworkers, friends and family from anywhere on the planet with a view of open sky.
By partnering with Qualcomm instead of any individual smartphone manufacturer, the technology is designed to be available to a variety of smartphone brands.
Snapdragon Satellite is expected to debut as soon as the second half of 2023 in premium Android smartphones.
“While some have been expecting we would be integrating our system into a specific smartphone, what we’ve done is much bigger,” said Matt Desch, Iridium chief executive. “(It) offers us an opportunity to enable other consumer and vehicular applications in the future. This supports our larger vision of connecting people and things on the move, anywhere.”
Iridium’s existing mobile voice and data satellite communications network covers the entire globe. In 2019, it completed a next-generation upgrade to its 66 satellite network.
Late last year, Apple announced a partnership with satellite service company Globalstar to make emergency SOS via satellite available for iPhone 14 phones.