With the emergency call function from Apple, Bullitt Satellite Connect and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Satellite, there are now three systems that connect smartphones directly to satellites. One of them is already running, one will start in a few weeks, the third still needs a little more work, but it seems clear: satellite radio will find its way into the smartphone world. The technology has the potential to take the fear out of white spots.
The three systems have similarities, but also differences. All three do not use new satellites, which have to be put into orbit in a complex and terribly expensive manner, but existing geo-satellites. Qualcomm, for example, works with Iridium satellites and transmits in the L band. However, the chip giant is still lagging behind when it comes to implementation – the first devices with it should not be on the market until the end of 2023 at the earliest. The English Bullitt Group, by far the smallest company of the three, has teamed up with the company Skylo and thus also has access to geo-satellites. In addition to the L band, the modem developed by Bullitt and Mediatek also transmits in the S band. Apple relies on 24 satellites from Globalstar, which orbit the earth at an altitude of 1400 kilometers.
What all three systems have in common is that they work globally and can also establish a connection anywhere where there is no mobile network or WLAN available. Most people who travel across Germany from time to time probably know that you don’t have to go to the highest peaks, to the driest desert or to the remotest forest, and things don’t always look better in other countries. Around 15 percent of Europe has no network coverage, and no provider in the USA covers more than 70 percent of the area. Being able to send messages or at least get help in an emergency in these white spots is a huge step forward.
About 155 bytes per message
While the bandwidth for these connections is low and the latency is impressively high, it’s easily enough for text messaging and emergency calls. In addition to pure text, location information can also be sent in order to show the rescuers the way as efficiently as possible. A text message with Bullitt’s system, which we were able to try out at CES 2023, can be up to 140 characters long. One byte of data is transmitted per character, plus a few control characters, so that a message with 140 characters comes to around 155 bytes of data. This should look similar to Qualcomm’s system.
Bullitt and Qualcomm offer the option of making emergency calls in addition to normal text messages. Apple limits its system, which was introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro, to such SOS notifications only. It seems conceivable that Apple will eventually give up this restriction, but there are no concrete indications of this yet.
While Apple sends the SOS signals directly to the respective emergency number – 112 in Europe – Bullitt and Qualcomm each use a provider in between. Qualcomm has teamed up with Garmin, Bullit with FocusPoint International. The idea behind it: Not every emergency call requires a costly rescue operation, some situations can also be solved more easily, for example with advice on self-help. If necessary, however, the Qualcomm and Bullitt systems also alert the local authorities.
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Where is the modem located?
There is one important technical difference between the modems from Qualcomm and Mediatek. Qualcomm integrates the new modem into the SoC, while Mediatek has it as a separate component. The separation of modem and SoC makes it comparatively easy to install satellite radio in smartphones of different performance classes. Qualcomm Satellite Connect should initially only be used in the high-end chips. Incidentally, Bullitt does not claim to have noticed any increased power consumption due to the satellite radio, the modem consumes almost the same amount of energy as in the 5G or LTE network, according to a spokesman.
Unlike Qualcomm Snapdragon Satellite, Bullitt Satellite Connect is fully developed, hardware and software – both the framework and the app – work and will start in a few weeks for the MWC. The prices have also already been set – emergency calls are initially free of charge, the smallest data package costs 5 euros a month and should be sufficient for around 30 short messages. The question of whether Bullitt and Mediatek can use their time advantage as long as Qualcomm is not finished should be exciting. Qualcomm’s chips are in countless smartphones, and the company has established a strong position in the global, especially western, market.
Mediatek, on the other hand, is more strongly represented in Asia, but has also increasingly focused on the European market, especially with its powerful Dimensity processors. Bullitt, as a small fish in the pond of the big ones, is dependent on finding other partners who will license the system and install it in their smartphones. Mediatek, as a chip manufacturer, would naturally benefit from this at the same time. Apple can settle for its loyal user base and just keep building its system into its iPhones.
The possibility of sending messages on smartphones via direct satellite connections should become established in the coming years. Despite the cutbacks compared to “normal” messengers, which can be used to send completely different content than just text and location information, satellite radio is noticeably expanding the usefulness of smartphones – you’ll think of this the next time you travel through extensive dead spots.
(sht)
