Skylo & Deutsche Telekom trial SMS over satellite in EU

Skylo has partnered with Deutsche Telekom and Qualcomm to complete the first-ever trial of SMS send and receipt over a GEO satellite in Europe.

The collaboration represents a significant milestone in satellite and mobile connectivity, allowing users to send and receive text messages even in remote areas with no cellular coverage. The trial, conducted at Deutsche Telekom's Cosmote subsidiary in Greece, utilised the 3GPP Release 17 standards for Direct-to-Handset (D2H) connectivity.

Antje Williams, Senior Vice President Business Creation, Group Technology at Deutsche Telekom, commented, "Our customers want to always stay connected. 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. 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."

The trial achieved seamless integration of mobile operator terrestrial networks into Skylo's non-terrestrial network. This integration ensures ubiquitous coverage, allowing customers to send and receive messages globally using satellite connectivity in areas lacking terrestrial network access, known as "white spots."

Skylo's CEO Parthsarathi Trivedi stated, "We are proud to partner with Deutsche Telekom and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. to showcase the first direct-to-handset texts over satellite in Europe. 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."

The technical setup in the test involved sending an SMS from a device equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System, using Cosmote's SIM card via Skylo's satellite network in Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum. This configuration is based on the standards specified in 3GPP Release 17.

Dino Flore, Vice President, Technology at Qualcomm Europe, Inc., stated, "We are pleased to announce our collaboration with Deutsche Telekom and Skylo on this significant milestone in Europe. 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. The Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System advanced capabilities provide the performance and flexibility to support these new features. We look forward to working with our partners to enhance satellite connectivity for consumers."

This satellite-based service, due to its pan-European licensed MSS spectrum, avoids the need for international cross-border spectrum coordination, ensuring connectivity across rural areas and supporting emergency communications. The initiative will soon expand to the APAC region, improving mobile connectivity in underserved locations globally.