#satellitecomms — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #satellitecomms, aggregated by home.social.
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The satellite chessboard is shifting: Amazon's $9-11B Globalstar deal is making headlines, but it may not deliver broadband direct-to-device. Meanwhile, AST SpaceMobile is quietly operating the only scaled solution capable of it.
The market may be reading this wrong. 🛰️
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The satellite chessboard is shifting: Amazon's $9-11B Globalstar deal is making headlines, but it may not deliver broadband direct-to-device. Meanwhile, AST SpaceMobile is quietly operating the only scaled solution capable of it.
The market may be reading this wrong. 🛰️
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The satellite chessboard is shifting: Amazon's $9-11B Globalstar deal is making headlines, but it may not deliver broadband direct-to-device. Meanwhile, AST SpaceMobile is quietly operating the only scaled solution capable of it.
The market may be reading this wrong. 🛰️
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The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is here, and it's bringing satellite comms so you can *really* ghost your phone reception. Emergency SOS, messaging, location sharing - all from your wrist. Plus, a bigger battery (42 hours, whoa) and 5G.
Are you ready to talk to satellites from your wrist, or is good old cellular enough for your wilderness adventures?
#AppleWatchUltra3 #SatelliteComms #Wearables #TechNews #OffTheGrid
Link: https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-ultra-3-a-closer-look-at-its-satellite-communications-tools-120012387.html?src=rss -
Lost in the wilderness? Your Apple Watch Ultra 3 can now call for help via satellite! Because nothing says 'I'm living life on the edge (of cellular service)' like a premium wearable that doubles as an emergency beacon. Is this the ultimate peace of mind, or just another feature for the 'just in case' crowd?
Details here: https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-ultra-3-a-closer-look-at-its-satellite-communications-tools-120012387.html?src=rss
#AppleWatchUltra3 #SatelliteComms #TechSurvival #Wearables #AdventureTech -
Qualcomm and Iridium’s satellite link-up deal not going ahead as smartphone makers are not buying it
According to Iridium, the companies developed and demonstrated the technology, but it appears that smartphone makers have not implemented the feature in their Snapdragon-based devices. Iridium said Qualcomm therefore notified it on November 3 of the decision ...continues
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According to Iridium, the companies developed and demonstrated the technology, but it appears that smartphone makers have not implemented the feature in their Snapdragon-based devices. Iridium said Qualcomm therefore notified it on November 3 of the decision to terminate things, effective December 3.
Qualcomm told The Register: "Smartphone OEMs have indicated a preference towards standards-based solutions for satellite connectivity in mobile devices. We expect to continue to collaborate with Iridium on standards-based solutions, while discontinuing efforts on the proprietary solution that was introduced earlier this year (2023).
It could partly be due to pretty expensive rates that would be charged by Iridium, or the developments around just placing normal cell tower radios on low orbiting satellites (like the recent post about Starlink's tests). It looks more like the leaning is towards unmodified cellphones being able to be used.
A good reason for this is open competition, as the device is not locked into a specific chipmaker or satellite service. Competition means more choices (no vendor lock-in) and lower costs.
For consumers, it means there is a chance too that existing phones can be used without expensive (and exclusive) upgrades being required.
See Qualcomm cancels satellite partnership with IridiumTech was proven, but nobody wanted to put it in their Snapdragon devices
#technology #satellitecomms -
Qualcomm and Iridium’s satellite link-up deal not going ahead as smartphone makers are not buying it
Side view of a smartphone being held by by two hands. According to Iridium, the companies developed and demonstrated the technology, but it appears that smartphone makers have not implemented the feature in their Snapdragon-based devices. Iridium said Qualcomm therefore notified it on November 3 of […]
https://squeet.me/display/962c3e10-e9d813f8-e6cca92352ea91e1
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Live Animation of over 5000 Starlink Satellites as well as GPS satellites around Earth
This is quite an interesting animation which really highlights very well how good the Starlink satellite coverage is. Even for continents like Africa there is pretty good coverage, and over the vast oceans as well.
You can change the view to see GPS satell ...continues
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This is quite an interesting animation which really highlights very well how good the Starlink satellite coverage is. Even for continents like Africa there is pretty good coverage, and over the vast oceans as well.
You can change the view to see GPS satellites and then you notice they are a lot higher altitude than Starlink's satellites. If normal mobile phones could start to use these low orbiting satellites, we'd really be able to connect all humans on Earth, and have coverage during disasters, or treks out into the uninhabited areas.
As long, of course, as you can trust the provider of the satellite service, whether it be an individual billionaire or a spy-happy nation state. This brings a whole new era in being able to data mine what passes through (or even under) this network.
Spotted this piece of news on Mastodon from @Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:
See Starlink satellite trackerLive view of SpaceX starlink satellite constellation and coverage.
#technology #satellitecomms #Starlink
https://hub.netzgemeinde.eu/cloud/gadgeteer/2023-09/Starlink-2023-09-23_20.02.12.mp4 -
Live Animation of over 5000 Starlink Satellites as well as GPS satellites around Earth
Illustration of the Earth from spcae above Africa, with thousands of white dots each representing a Starlink satellite in orbit. This is quite an interesting animation which really highlights very well how good the Starlink satellite coverage is. Even for continents like Africa there is pretty good coverage, and over the vast oceans as well. […]
https://squeet.me/display/962c3e10-27c261d0-334171bedc8da573
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“I think [satellite connectivity] is going to start coming in as a feature in the high end and then become just a default feature for flagship phones,” he said. “It’s relatively easy to take our chip [the MT6825 found inside the Motorola Defy] and add it to any 4G or 5G phone. It will be integrated into 5G modems going forward, kind of a default feature.”
It’s an exciting picture of a future where you aren’t entirely reliant on connectivity provided by your carrier or Wi-Fi network, and it could end up saving lives in emergency situations. While direct integration of satellite communication is still in its infancy, the service is available to anyone right now through the Motorola Defy and the Bullitt Messenger Service. The Motorola Defy is a palm-sized rugged dongle with MediaTek’s MT6825NTN chip inside. It connects to your phone using Bluetooth, talks to the satellite network, and is ready to send messages through Bullitt’s app when you don’t have any service.
The linked article goes into some detail about the hands-on testing with this device. It will work with any smartphone, and just requires the Bullitt Messenger app to use the Defy dongle (and your recipients need to have the app installed to receive messages for free [yes payment too if they want to reply]). The downside is you do need to carry this dongle with you. That said, it is a once-off purchase that includes the one year of the Essential plan (Up to 30 satellite messages per month with emergency SOS included) which is $5 pm after that and is actually quite reasonable. Receiving messages via the satellite service though is free of charge.
Being a separate dongle device, I'd imagine you can also share the use of it with a spouse or friend. The only bad news really is the satellite coverage for now is still only the USA and Europe. But it looks like from Q4 2023 that South America, Africa and also the Oceania region (and Japan) will get coverage.
For the next year or two at least, it will only be some of the flagship phones that get satellite comms built in, so a device like this may be perfect for the millions of mid-range smartphone users. Hopefully too, an increasing volume in usage, will make pricing even better over time.
See I tried a lifesaving gadget that's going to transform your phone | Digital TrendsI tried the Motorola Defy with the Bullitt Satellite Messenger app, a pairing that could save your life in an emergency when you don't have cellular service.
#technology #SOS #satellitecomms -
The Motorola Defy satellite dongle tested: Essential plan starts from $5 per month
“I think [satellite connectivity] is going to start coming in as a feature in the high end and then become just a default feature for flagship phones,” he said. “It’s relatively easy to take our chip [the MT6825 found inside the Motorola Defy] and add it to a ...continues
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The Motorola Defy satellite dongle tested: Essential plan starts from $5 per month
A hand holding a flat oval shaped grey plastic dongle, a bright orange button on the right side, with the label SOS next to it. “I think [satellite connectivity] is going to start coming in as a feature in the high end and then become just a default feature for flagship phones,” he said. “It’s relatively easy to take our […]
https://squeet.me/display/962c3e10-77ddc031-36470a6259ef4b6a
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First two-way cellphone call made via satellite using an unmodified Galaxy S22 phone and a BlueWalker 3 satellite
AST SpaceMobile claims it is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible by standard smartphones.
They plan to deliver a global cellular network from space. In a briefing early last year, the company told investors that it ...continues
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First two-way cellphone call made via satellite using an unmodified Galaxy S22 phone and a BlueWalker 3 satellite
Three people standing in a rural setting, with woman in foreground holding smartphone in front of her and looking at the screen AST SpaceMobile claims it is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible by standard smartphones. They plan to deliver a global cellular network from space. In a briefing early last year, the […]
https://squeet.me/display/962c3e10-ca1112ae-5a1e0ef8a63a29e0
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Huawei Mate 50 launched — with satellite texting and an iPhone-like notch
https://gadgeteer.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Huawei-Mate-50-satellite-400x267.jpg Huawei has launched its latest flagship smartphone range — the Mate 50 series — with support for satellite texting in areas without cellular connectivity. The feature will allow users to communicate with China’s BeiDou Navigation […]
https://gadgeteer.co.za/huawei-mate-50-launched-with-satellite-texting-and-an-iphone-like-notch/
https://gadgeteer.co.za/huawei-mate-50-launched-with-satellite-texting-and-an-iphone-like-notch/