Qualcomm Introduces Snapdragon Satellite, the First Solution to Enable Two-Way Satellite Communication
Qualcomm announced at CES 2023 that it launched the Snapdragon Satellite, a solution that enables satellite two-way communication and provides related functions for flagship smartphones and other types of terminals. Qualcomm said that this technology will be the first to be applied to flagship mobile terminals equipped with the second-generation Snapdragon 8 platform.
Qualcomm reached an agreement with Iridium Communications to provide satellite-based connectivity for the next generation of Android flagship smartphones, and will also cooperate with Garmin to support the provision of emergency messaging services. The Snapdragon Satellite achieves global coverage from the South Pole to the North Pole, supporting two-way emergency messaging, SMS text messaging, and other messaging applications. Qualcomm plans to extend the emergency and two-way satellite messaging functions beyond smartphones to other terminals that require global messaging capabilities, such as laptops, tablets, cars, and Internet of Things terminals.
Powered by the Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF System and Iridium Communications’ satellite network, the Snapdragon Satellite will enable OEMs and other service providers to bring true global coverage. Qualcomm’s solution for smartphones is to use the L-band spectrum provided by Iridium Communications for uplink and downlink.
Qualcomm is not the first manufacturer to provide satellite communication services. Last year, Huawei’s new-generation Mate 50 series provided hardware capabilities to support Beidou satellite information and was the first smartphone to introduce satellite functions. Subsequently, Apple also introduced the emergency SOS function through satellite communication on the iPhone 14 series, so as to realize the messaging with emergency services outside the coverage of cellular network or Wi-Fi. Emergency SOS via satellite began in November for users in the U.S. and Canada, and the service will be free for two years.
Qualcomm said that the emergency message function supported by Snapdragon Satellite is expected to be available on a new generation of smartphones, and it will be launched in some regions in the second half of 2023.
