Iridium Gets Approval to Work on LEO Compatibility for Upcoming Smartphones

TAMPA, Fla. — Updated chipset standards scheduled for release late next year will enable mainstream smartphones to connect to Iridium satellites, the carrier said Sept. 25 after receiving approval to begin compatibility trials.

Iridium announced that the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the consortium that sets global communications standards for 5G networks, has approved its application to develop space-based narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) connectivity as an official work item for Release 19.

The decision paves the way for trials and demonstrations to show how devices using industry-standard chips can use an operator’s network in low Earth orbit (LEO) to send messages and provide SOS services beyond the range of cellular networks.

Iridium said it has already demonstrated this capability in its L-band satellite spectrum in laboratory conditions, following the announcement in January of its Project Stardust strategy to transmit data directly to devices.

Iridium spokesman Jordan Hassin said in an email that some manufacturers may want to produce integrated circuits before the next round of 3GPP standards, since it is one of the formal items to be included in Release 17.

Before moving to Project Stardust, Iridium planned to bring proprietary services directly to Android devices in partnership with chipmaker Qualcomm.

However, last year Qualcomm abandoned plans to produce specialized chips for this constellation after it failed to persuade smartphone and other device makers to cooperate.

“Our technology is well underway and we are excited about our progress and the great enthusiasm from the 3GPP community,” said Greg Pelton, Iridium’s chief technology officer, in a statement.

“As a cloud-based service, leveraging the flexibility of our software-defined satellites and based on recognized industry standards, we were able to achieve a super-fast launch.”

The company said the next tests will take place early next year and will involve a service it currently calls Iridium NTN (non-terrestrial network) Direct.

Version 17 is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2025.

This fall, U.S. telecommunications company Verizon plans to launch space-based emergency location and texting services for Android smartphones that can connect to L-band geostationary satellites using the latest standards-compliant chipsets.

Iridium says smartphones will need less power to connect to satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) compared to geostationary ships that operate much further from Earth and stationary over the equator.

Iridium’s mobile satellite competitor, Globalstar, is using its L-band network to deliver SOS services on Apple’s latest iPhone models from 2022.

Meanwhile, SpaceX, AST SpaceMobile and Lynk Global are developing LEO constellations that will be able to reach smartphones already in use, using spectrum from cellular partners.

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