MediaTek and Inmarsat have teamed up to provide ultra-reliable, two-way satellite services to smartphones, IoT devices, automotive and other industries. The collaboration aims to enable mobile operators, device manufacturers, and others to offer satellite services such as two-way text messaging, emergency communications, device tracking and monitoring, among other capabilities, without the need for pointing on most devices.
Also Read: Qualcomm to Bring Snapdragon Satellite to More Smartphones
Leverage 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) standards
The two companies will leverage existing chipsets, 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) standards, and Inmarsat's reliable global satellite infrastructure, allowing for the swift introduction of new NTN services. This partnership includes joint technology innovation and the commercial deployment of satellite-enabled devices.
According to the statement, Over the past three years, Inmarsat and MediaTek have conducted numerous successful live, in-orbit trials of two-way communications to demonstrate the effectiveness of combining their technologies and space assets in real-life applications.
Also Read: MediaTek to Demonstrate 5G, Satcom and Other Technologies at MWC 2023
Satellite-to-Device Capability
As a result of this work, MediaTek chipsets and Inmarsat's L-band network are being trialled by major network operators and device manufacturers for direct-to-device, two-way satellite connectivity.
With MediaTek, Inmarsat can offer smartphone companies and others a consumer-friendly path to satellite-to-device capability.
The collaboration is set to introduce a practical approach for the industry and will bring rapid access to 5G satellite services for consumer and professional users, and the wider 5G ecosystem across the world.
