Android 14 to support satellite connections in smartphones
The next version of the Android operating system will support direct satellite connections, says a senior executive at Google.
“Wild to think about user experiences for phones that can connect to satellites. When we launched G1 in ’08 it was a stretch to get 3G + Wifi working. Now we’re designing for satellites. Cool! Excited to support our partners in enabling all of this in the next version of Android,” said Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior vice president of platforms and ecosystems at Google.
This is enabled by Release 17 from the 3GPP standards group that supports 5G satellite connections as well as key technology development from European companies.
Several groups are planning to launch constellations of satellites in low earth orbit to support direct connection to 5G phones. This is a key opportunity for European technology companies, with companies such as Nokia and Ericsson supplying infrastructure and ASIC and IP companies in the region providing vital design blocks as well as antenna technology.
- Ericsson, Thales team for 5G satellites
- Nokia to supply radio for 5G satellite network
- LeoPHY IP targets satellite 5G modems
- Antenna boost for satellite phones and IoT
- ASIC win for 5G cellular satellite broadband network
Last week SpaceX and T-Mobile announced that they would support basic data services to 5G handsets, although this requires the second generation of SpaceLink satellites with larger antennas which have yet to launch.
Satellite IoT
Semtech has also enabled a more robust modulation scheme called LR-HSS to allow LoRa systems to directly access one of several constellations of LEO satellites.
- First fully integrated SoC for Direct-to-Satellite IoT
- Partnership to deploy first 5G narrowband-IoT over satellite
- LoRa satellite network aims at pan-European IoT
- Firmware boost for LoRa direct satellite connections
Related articles
- OQ Technology raises €13m for satellite 5G IoT
- ESA and VTT to develop 5G network in space
- Inmarsat to combine GEO, LEO satellites with 5G
- Comprehensive test system for 5G NR Release 17
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