Deutsche Telekom, Qualcomm, and Skylo Technologies have completed an end-to-end trial of SMS sending and receiving over GEO satellite network integrated with a terrestrial mobile network. Conducted in Greece via Deutsche Telekom's Cosmote subsidiary, this trial utilised the 3GPP Release 17 standards for Direct-to-Handset (D2H) communication.
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Satellite and Terrestrial Network Integration
The companies claim this marks 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 specifications. This technology allows users in remote or uncovered areas to send and receive SMS globally without additional apps or devices.
"The NB-NTN D2H approach allows customers in white spots without any access to terrestrial network to send and receive text messages globally using satellite connectivity," said Deutsche Telekom.
The trial leveraged Skylo's satellite system operating on the Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System, ensuring seamless connectivity across Europe.
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Skylo, Qualcomm, and Deutsche Telekom
"Direct-to-handset will be an add-on to our mobile networks allowing our customers to easily text from anywhere on their regular devices without any separate apps," said SVP Business Creation, Group Technology, Deutsche Telekom.
"Soon, subscribers won't have to think twice about coverage before texting, whether they're on a remote island in Greece or venturing in regions without cell coverage – it'll be a part of their cellular service. The future of satellite connectivity is strong integration into carrier networks and we're excited to partner with Deutsche Telekom which has been paving the way for these new services," said the CEO and co-founder of Skylo Technologies.
"The Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System advanced capabilities provide the performance and flexibility to support these new features," said Vice President of Technology at Qualcomm Europe.
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Technical Setup
During the test, an SMS was sent from a device equipped with a Cosmote SIM card via Skylo's satellite network, which operates on the Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum and adheres to 3GPP Release 17 specifications. The device was equipped with the Snapdragon X-80 5G Modem-RF System and integrated NB-NTN satellite connectivity.
