#Iridium approved to work on #LEO compatibility for upcoming #smartphones .
#Iridium said the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the consortium that sets global communications standards for 5G, approved its request to advance space-based Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) connectivity as an official work item for Release 19.
The approval paves the way for trials and demonstrations showing how devices using industry-standard chips could use the operator’s network in low Earth orbit (LEO) for messaging and SOS services outside cellular coverage.
#Iridium said it has already demonstrated this capability over its L-band satellite spectrum in a lab environment, after announcing its Project Stardust direct-to-device strategy in January.
Some #manufacturers may want to produce integrated chips before the 3GPP’s next round of standards now that it is one of the formal items for inclusion in Release 17, Iridium spokesperson Jordan Hassin said via email.
Before pivoting to Project Stardust, Iridium had planned to deploy proprietary direct-to-device services for #Android devices in partnership with chipmaker Qualcomm.
However, Qualcomm scrapped plans to make specialized chips for the constellation last year after failing to get manufacturers of smartphones and other devices onboard.
“We’re already well into our technology development, and we’re excited about our progress and to see so much enthusiasm from the 3GPP community,” Iridium chief technology officer Greg Pelton said in a statement.
“As a cloud-based service powered by the flexibility of our software-defined satellites and building upon recognized industry standards, we’ve been able to jump off to a super-fast start.”
The company said its next tests are scheduled for early next year for a service it is now calling Iridium NTN (non-terrestrial network) Direct.
Release 17 is slated to be finalized in the fourth quarter of 2025.