Bandwidth from the stars – ITBUSINESS

The next big leap in mobile communication is quite far from us simple consumers. About 500-1000 kilometers away – above our heads. Those satellites are orbiting there, which – according to many – will soon provide us with adequate bandwidth, wherever we go.

◼︎ The satellite mobile phone service is spreading

Although mobile phones that talk to satellites – i.e. not the expensive, satellite communication devices developed specifically for this purpose – have been on the market for several years, we still have to wait for them to become commonplace. For now, many people still see the satellite “terminal” built into a smartphone as something as exciting and interesting as, say, the folding screen or artificial intelligence, which is expected to be standard equipment in the mid-range and up.

Promise is a nice word

Satellite communications promise to stay connected anytime, anywhere – there will be no “quiet areas”. The construction of non-terrestrial networks (NTN) also required the approval of the 3GPP (i.e. the 3rd Generation Partnership Project), the organization that oversees the development of standards for communication technologies. This opened the way for coordinated research and development in the field of 5G NTNs, thus also expanding market opportunities.

In places far from populated areas, outside the range of terrestrial mobile towers, the field strength often disappears and dead zones are created. This problem can only be solved if there is something else that the phone can connect to. And these will typically be satellites, although there are other ideas about drones flying at high altitudes or mobile stations built on airships.

Satellite communication is not a new idea, not only Hollywood heroes or armies and navies can have special terminals and radios suitable for satellite voice and data connection. However, these are expensive, have to be carried as a separate unit, and are certainly purpose tools: they were devices that were not optimized for the user experience. Let’s say, in addition to the satellite data traffic tariffs, this is somewhat understandable. Inmarsat, Thuraya (geostationary) or Iridium (low earth orbit, LEO) are well-known and established names in this special market segment.

But who pays?

Those who want business – and it is no coincidence that Starlink was among the first to move, which will build and provide T-Mobile’s satellite service in the United States, which currently promises to be the largest market. The overseas introduction is no accident: the mobile network based on terrestrial transmission towers, which has been built for decades, is practically available almost everywhere in the densely populated Western Europe. However, the goal of Starlink cannot be other than global coverage, so after the expected successful introduction in North America, other continents and other mobile service providers will follow.

Apple’s system is operated by the American Globalstar, which currently has 24 spacecraft moving in LEO orbit. Qualcomm is working hard on its own solution, named “Snapdragon Satellite”, presumably intended to conquer the Android market, which will use Iridium’s existing satellite network. The Snapdragon Satellite system, like Apple’s system, will offer emergency location and text 911 functions, but according to reports, it will also provide the ability to send short text messages similar to SMS.

However, it is important to note that although there are already satellites in Earth orbit that are capable of certain data transmission functions, much may depend on what a particular satellite can provide with its built-in technology. The question is how it connects to the consumers’ devices (if you can), what changes are needed at the ground control stations to enable the new functions and how to make business agreements that are satisfactory for all parties. The development, mass production and launching of new satellites (also) optimized for this task is, however, a very expensive process – although SpaceX’s reusable launch vehicles have already helped a lot with this. Building up the service still requires significant investments, and it is not yet clear exactly what kind of return can be expected.

In addition, it is very likely that satellite communication can be integrated into increasingly smart vehicles – be it SUVs or trucks. This would significantly facilitate the quick and accurate request for help in accidents that occur in areas far from populated areas, bringing about a measurable change in people’s lives. However, we are still a long way from the family’s eyes streaming their favorite fairy-tale movies in 4K in the back seat – anywhere, anytime.

Please wait while connecting…

It is an open question when a really wide range of users will be able to take their satellite-capable smartphones out of their pockets. The emergency service has been available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France and Germany since November 2022 (iPhone 14 launch). Naturally, the function was also inherited by the new generation iPhone 15s. Huawei uses China’s Beidou satellite system for its China-based emergency call service, which will be available with the Mate 50 smartphone, which will be launched in September 2022. T-Mobile had previously announced its own service called “Coverage Above and Beyond”, whose satellites were launched in January this year with the help of SpaceX. Of course, the company is also targeting the well-paying North American market, promising full coverage. Samsung also indicated in February 2023 that it would develop its own technology – but even the new S24 Ultra top model cannot communicate with satellites.

The advent of satellite communication was quiet, and its spread is still taking time. But it is now clearly visible – it is more than a side track similar to WAP, and by developing a suitable business model, the infrastructure in space will also be created. Perhaps the ubiquitous broadband telecommunications of the cyberpunk world is not so far away.