Qualcomm announces Satellite direct to handset partnership with Iridium.
wsj.com
LAS VEGAS— Qualcomm Inc. QCOM -1.91%decrease; red down pointing triangle and satellite company Iridium IRDM 0.02%increase; green up pointing triangle Communications Inc. said they are introducing technology that would allow smartphone users to send and receive messages via satellite when regular cellular connectivity isn’t available.
The partnership would initially make a satellite-based emergency service available for devices powered by Google’s Android operating system and containing Qualcomm’s premium chips.
marketwatch.com
Qualcomm Inc. is looking to leapfrog Apple Inc. by offering emergency satellite phone service using Android smartphones, with specific product announcements expected by the middle of the year.
At the CES tech event in Las Vegas, Qualcomm QCOM, -1.91% announced it has partnered with satellite network Iridium Communications Inc. IRDM, +0.02% on Snapdragon Satellite, a service where next-generation smartphones will run Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG, -2.19% GOOGL, -2.13% Android operating system.
By using an appropriate Android smartphone with a clear view of the sky, users outside the reach of cellular service will be able to send emergency SMS messages using a network of 66 satellites, Qualcomm said.
In a presentation to media, Francesco Grilli, Qualcomm’s head of product management, said the service has a faster turnaround time for text messages, sometimes as fast as 10 seconds, compared with a minute or more for other services in areas with no cellular service. To use the service, Android users will point their phone at the sky to link with an Iridium satellite. |
