Satellite Connectivity is becoming a popular topic in smartphones. It started with the iPhone 14 when Apple introduced this feature in 2022. After that, many companies began working on it. But what exactly is satellite connectivity, and how does it work?

This feature is mainly designed for emergency situations when there is no mobile network available. It allows users to send SOS messages to emergency services. Right now, it is available only on a few smartphones and in limited areas. Google and Samsung have also started using this technology, but it is still considered a special feature.

What is Satellite Connectivity and How Does It Work?

It is important to understand the difference between satellite connectivity and satellite phones (satphones).

• Satellite Phones (Satphones): These phones work only on satellite networks and are used in remote areas. They are large, expensive, and used for special purposes. In India, BSNL provides some satphone services.
• Smartphones with Satellite Connectivity: These phones work mainly on cellular networks, but in emergency situations, they can connect to satellites for SOS messaging.

Currently, this technology is limited to SOS messaging, but in the future, it may support two-way messaging and internet data transmission. Once fully developed, smartphones will not need ground-based towers. Instead, they will connect directly to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites for data transfer.

Satellite Connectivity in India: Airtel and Jio’s Plans

In India, Airtel and Jio are working on this technology.

• Airtel has partnered with OneWeb.
• Jio has collaborated with SES to develop satellite services.

However, there is a delay in launching this technology due to spectrum allocation issues.

• Companies like Starlink want the government to allocate the spectrum directly to speed up the process.
• Airtel and Jio prefer the auction system to ensure fair competition.

Satellite Texting Service in the USA

In the United States, T-Mobile has partnered with Elon Musk’s Starlink to offer satellite texting. However, this service is not free.

• T-Mobile’s Go5G Next Plan includes it for free.
• Other users need to pay $15 per month (about ₹1,250).
• AT&T and Verizon users need to pay $20 per month (about ₹1,650).

Apple’s Globalstar Satellite Network is available in many countries, but T-Mobile’s service is only in the USA for now.

Which Smartphones in India Will Support Satellite Connectivity?

Many smartphone brands in India are working on satellite connectivity.

• Apple iPhone 14 and later models support Globalstar’s satellite network.
• Google Pixel 9 series will have Samsung Exynos 5400 modem for Satellite SOS feature.
• Samsung Galaxy S24 series has Exynos 5400 modem, but satellite connectivity is not active yet.
• Samsung Galaxy S25 series may support this feature with Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 5G modem.

Reports suggest that Samsung will soon enable the Satellite SOS feature on its devices.