I grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We lived in a remote part of the state and only received a few fuzzy TV news channels over the air when we pointed the big antenna on the roof of our house south, toward Wisconsin. This was certainly nothing to capture the attention of a young person. Then, one day, a Dish Network truck pulled up to our house and installed a satellite TV dish in the front yard and my siblings’ and my collective minds were forever blown away by the cornucopia of different cartoons that were now suddenly at our disposal. For the next 30 years, when anyone mentioned satellite to me, my first thought was always that big two-foot-wide cartoon-delivering parabolic dish in our front yard. Satellite, to me, meant TV. A scan of the roofline of any residential neighborhood would suggest that this is a commonly held association.
As we enter the era of direct-to-device (D2D) communications, the word satellite is being injected into the common vocabulary again, but this time to mean not satellite TV, but the delivery of cellular connectivity over a satellite directly to the phone in your pocket. As an engineer, it is easy to get excited about the engineering challenges of connecting a phone over satellite, but candidly, that is not what D2D is about. Phones have been connecting over satellites for decades. The real essence of D2D is about how satellite is getting added into the common culture and vocabulary. It is about drastically increasing the accessibility of satellites in the consumer mobility segment to rewrite the de facto association that comes to mind when the word satellite is mentioned. Odds are if you are reading this article, you have probably never used a satellite phone before, but in the D2D era, you have one in your pocket right now.
Today, I am the co-founder of Skylo, a D2D mobile network operator.
Skylo delivers services over satellite to phones, watches, asset trackers and other cellular devices all over the world, guided by the principle of increasing accessibility. Accessibility is the key to the D2D kingdom. Accessibility can mean many different things, but in this context, it is evaluated along multiple axes from service, technology, financial, features and more.
Skylo works with partners in each domain to systematically remove barriers from access to satellite to create a world where every consumer and enterprise has access to hybrid (terrestrial + satellite) connectivity by default, where their device seamlessly roams onto satellite when terrestrial connectivity is unavailable.
The journey of ultimate accessibility starts with the hardware and devices. Historically speaking, if you wanted a satellite-enabled phone, you had to buy a specialized satellite phone. This was not the phone you already had, it was a new one, an extra step, a barrier. To eliminate that hurdle, Skylo has worked with major chipset manufacturers such as Qualcomm, MediaTek, Sony, Samsung LSI and others to enable and certify the cellular modems that go into your favorite devices for native support for Skylo and satellite. Now, the popular consumer phones already in your pocket, like the Google Pixel 9, come natively equipped for satellite, with no extra motions. Eliminating the need for special hardware is just the first step.
The incumbent mobile network operators bring cellular network connectivity to the market today. To make satellite connectivity as accessible as possible, that should not change. Skylo partners with popular mobile network operators, such as Verizon, to enable them to provide hybrid connectivity services for their customers. Skylo integrates its network with the terrestrial networks to enable roaming in the exact same way that your phone may roam across different network operators as you travel. The result is a consumer experience where satellite is enabled without a consumer having to change their carrier, sign up for a new bill plan or get a new SIM. The second you leave cellular connectivity; your device automatically roams onto satellite. It just works.
A D2D service works with your existing phone, your existing service operator and most importantly, it works anywhere and everywhere. If you can see the sky, it works. Skylo is realizing that vision with operations across multiple satellite constellations today to deliver a global, best-in-class and robust D2D satellite service. Skylo currently has commercial deployments across North America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Central America, with upcoming deployments in South America and Africa. Skylo has the largest geographic footprint of any 3GPP cellular technology network operator, ensuring the highest degree of accessibility. Whether in the middle of the desert, on the top of a mountain, fishing 10 miles offshore or in downtown Chicago, Skylo has you covered.
An often-unsung hero of enabling this service is the RF spectrum over which this Skylo D2D service operates. Skylo, with its satellite partners, runs this service across the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum. This special spectrum is specifically allocated for satellite use and is globally harmonized across borders. This contrasts with other D2D approaches that reuse the cellular operator’s terrestrial spectrum. Using the MSS spectrum as the backbone for service delivery ensures the service remains affordable and global.
As the world continues to shrink, offering strong and compelling wireless services to people and devices as they travel is becoming increasingly important. Personally, traveling internationally can be a stressful experience and the last thing you want is to have your primary mode of communication severed by the act of traveling. Service delivery over the MSS spectrum ensures that whether you are in the U.S. or on the other side of the planet, you can have access to the same services. There are no country-by-country regulatory battles required to enable D2D, as we see playing out at the FCC in the U.S. now. An existing framework exists for the rapid globalization of D2D services over the MSS spectrum.
Network connectivity over satellite, using the same device you already have, with the same service provider you already have and network access wherever you are on the planet has to have a catch. Is it expensive? Delivering this service over MSS spectrum, which does not compete with terrestrial MNO spectrum revenue requirements and by delivering it as an additional capability of your existing service plan, Skylo ensures that service is also extremely financially accessible.
Network connectivity is just a means to an end and what you do with that connectivity matters the most. Skylo’s deep technological development expertise is the foundation for the rollout of key features and functions. Skylo has enabled core IP and non-IP data services, which are used for applications like asset tracking, pipeline monitoring, location sharing, financial transactions and many more. Skylo has enabled core communication services, like SMS, so that when you roam on satellite, you can send and receive SMS messages the same way you do now. Skylo has partnered with key ecosystem players, such as Google Android, to put all these features and others, like SOS services, directly at your fingertips.
This experience of bringing D2D services to market at Skylo has changed my perception of satellite. It is no longer just the big TV dish on the roof; it is about being able to communicate. All this work integrating satellites seamlessly into the cellular ecosystem is now blended into my broader view of Wi-Fi, cellular and network connectivity, in general. It no longer has that distinct parabolic shape in my mind; it has been absorbed by the ethereal construct of connectivity that we all have, which is kind of the point. Satellite does not have to be this special niche technology; it can always be with you and go everywhere.
Now satellite is just simply a farmer in Australia keeping track of cattle. It is texting your friend that you will be late for dinner because you decided to extend your hike. It is that call in the dead of winter when the snow and ice have brought down the power grid and you need emergency help now. It is peace and comfort knowing that whatever life throws at you, you will always be connected. The best part is that it is delivered directly into your pocket without you having to do anything; you can even take it for granted.