LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CES — Skylo, a Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) operator, focused on connecting anything, anywhere, announced today that it is partnering with Bullitt Group, the innovative British smartphone manufacturer, as Bullitt’s satellite connectivity partner for its two-way satellite messaging smartphone.
Available in Q1 2023, and on show for the first time at CES 2023, the smartphone will feature Bullitt’s new messaging service, connecting over satellite via Skylo’s network of established partner satellite constellations of geostationary satellites when standard cellular or Wi-Fi coverage is unavailable.
Bullitt and Skylo’s engineering teams have worked closely together over the past two years in partnership with one of the world’s leading chipset supplier, MediaTek, to develop the world’s first 3GPP standards-based approach to satellite NTN or ‘direct-to-device’ connectivity. Skylo provides the most robust, scalable network for direct-to-device connectivity while being incredibly efficient on the phone’s power consumption.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Skylo in bringing satellite messaging to our extraordinary smartphones. We expect this new satellite messaging service to set a new standard for the mobile industry and we can’t wait for our customers to experience it when they’re on their next outdoor adventure,” said Richard Wharton, Co-Founder for Bullitt Group. “Whether you’re driving through an area without mobile coverage, hiking in the Highlands, or skiing the mountaintops, you’re always connected,” he added.
For its satellite partnerships, Skylo works with a host of established regional and global satellite operators to enable always-on availability for machines, sensors, and compatible devices whenever and wherever there is open access to the sky. These satellites are already in place with landing rights and spectrum, allowing for rapid expansion and immediate coverage. The satellites function as a signal repeater between a user and a satellite Earth station, where Skylo’s technology & network enables and manages the connections to all end user devices.
Skylo operates a full-stack 3GPP standards-based NTN RAN and Core, and is installed into existing satellite Earth stations that allow for the vast and persistent geographic coverage supported by the existing geostationary satellite networks.
This revolutionary service enables customers to message over satellite as they normally would use the phone, as long as they have access to an open sky. There is no need to point the phone to the satellite or remain stationary in order to connect.
“Never lose coverage. That’s Skylo’s mission, and our partnership with Bullitt takes us a step closer to truly achieving that promise,” said Parthsarathi Trivedi, Skylo’s Co-Founder and CEO. “We started Skylo because we were frustrated by the need to carry a separate device to communicate over satellites, and the need to use expensive, proprietary modems with bulky antennas. Now, you can stay connected all the time with the one device that’s always in your pocket.”
Skylo and Bullitt will be together at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, NV, this week. To schedule time with Skylo to discuss this announcement, click here.
About Skylo
Skylo Technologies is a satellite network service provider based in Palo Alto, CA, offering a hybrid capability that allows off-the-shelf, NTN-capable cellular chipsets and devices to connect directly over existing satellites. Devices connected over satellite are managed and served by Skylo’s commercial NTN vRAN, featuring a 3GPP standards-based cloud-native base station and core. Skylo works with existing satellite operators, terrestrial mobile network operators, and device makers to provide subscribers an anywhere, anytime connectivity solution that seamlessly roams between terrestrial and satellite networks. Skylo’s focus is on enabling connected services for people outdoors and connected workflows for machines at work across critical industries such as agriculture, maritime, logistics, mining, and others, in addition to mass-market consumer devices. For more information, visit www.skylo.tech or contact info@skylo.tech.
