20 Practical Health Tips to Kickstart Your Journey towards a Healthy Lifestyle in 2023 tux news update

The newest development in mobile communications is direct satellite access?

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion regarding satellite connectivity, as businesses like Apple, T-Mobile, and even Huawei have bragged about the technology in their most recent devices and planned plans. But why should we care? What does this entail for customers and carriers?

Analysts anticipate direct satellite connectivity in consumer-grade cellphones to become increasingly commonplace despite the many ways businesses approach this means of communication. Even though some are currently ahead of the curve, researchers predict it may take some time before we can fully utilise the technology.

Readying for launch

There are now just a few significant competitors in the satellite connectivity market. As one of the first consumer-grade smartphones to emerge with the functionality, the iPhone 14 signifies a significant push in mindshare for the technology thanks to Apple's adept marketing and devoted customer base. But the reason I use the phrase "one of the first" is because Huawei recently unveiled its satellite-connected Mate 50 series, the company's current flagship model.

Both capabilities are fairly exclusive, however Huawei uses China's BeiDou satellite network while Apple's SOS Emergency by Satellite feature is limited to the iPhone 14 in North America (for the time being, at least). Additionally, several implementation-specific restrictions may prevent them from living up to the expectations.

Both capabilities are fairly exclusive, however Huawei uses China's BeiDou satellite network while Apple's SOS Emergency by Satellite feature is limited to the iPhone 14 in North America

On the other hand, T-Mobile and SpaceX have partnered and are using a different strategy. The businesses revealed a plan in August to use the new Starlink satellites to offer little smartphone connectivity in so-called "dead zones." Because the firms intend to employ mid-band spectrum that is already supported by devices on the carrier's network, this should function on just about any current smartphone, according to the companies. Additionally, T-Mobile and SpaceX are inviting other international providers to participate.

And one such collaboration is that between T-Mobile and SpaceX. In an effort to increase service, other carriers have also teamed with satellite businesses. Verizon intends to support its 4G LTE/5G towers and expand service in rural regions by using Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites(opens in new tab). With AST Space Mobile, which just launched the BlueWalker 3 test satellite it intends to use for direct-to-smartphone communications, AT&T and other international carriers are also somewhat involved.

The Android 14 operating system, which is scheduled to debut in the second half of 2023, would feature direct satellite connectivity, Google even added in response.

Although the precise features being developed for Android 14 are unknown, they are likely to aid in enabling smooth connectivity with smartphones and, hopefully, even RCS capabilities when connecting to satellites.

Why is this such a big deal?

Every year, smartphones and mobile networks get better. Traditional wireless networks, notably in the United States, still struggle to reach every nook and cranny where service might be essential for customers.

 Imagine yourself on a hike and you become hurt or lost and require assistance. Without cellular connection, you're pretty much out of luck, which is what these firms hope to change by allowing smartphones to connect to satellites.

Elon Musk stated, "Now you can call for help," at the unveiling of the T-Mobile and SpaceX alliance. The fact that what we're announcing today will save lives strikes me as being incredibly meaningful.

The biggest benefit, meanwhile, might be in rural areas, where even the strongest U.S. carriers only offer patchy or nonexistent coverage.

This is the reason, according to Neil Shah, vice president of research at Counterpoint Research, Apple pushed for the technology in its most recent smartphone. "Apple must be examining the percentage of its high-end users who travel to remote locations or use their iPhones and Apple Watches for intense outdoor activities and have lower or patchier coverage or dead zones."

The biggest benefit, meanwhile, might be in rural areas, where even the strongest U.S. carriers only offer patchy or nonexistent coverage. Chris Wedel of Android Central talked about how the T-Mobile/SpaceX news gives him hope for his sometimes disregarded region of Kansas.
He already uses Starlink to access the internet and T-Mobile for wireless service because, in his opinion, the latter makes the most of connectivity-related concerns. Although he has his doubts about how effectively this would work, for customers like him, the alliance seems like a marriage made in heaven.

Wedel comments, "I'm excited about it even though I realise the chances that this service will live up to the hype are minimal. It's incredible to think that one day, neither my family nor I will be left stranded on the side of the road without a method to get help.

And he ought to be dubious. Although satellite connectivity from T-Mobile and SpaceX has received a lot of attention, it has a ways to go before becoming a reality. If all goes according to plan with the Starlink V2 satellites, which SpaceX wants to launch at some point next year, T-Mobile won't begin testing until the end of 2023. There is also the issue of getting FCC approval to even use the satellites for spectrum. For instance, AST SpaceMobile has been given a rather constrained licence to test in the US.

Additionally, as previously said, there are now only a few implementations, a point reiterated by Bill Ho, a principal analyst at 556 Ventures. Ho adds that when Apple first introduced their Globalstar-based service, it was positioned with a constrained range of capabilities and asked for identical information from the customer using pre-scripted questions. "This service provides assistance in emergency situations and when there is no terrestrial connectivity. The spectrum used by Globalstar is not designed for voice and heavy data use."

Similar to other solutions, Huawei's only allows users to send SMS; however, it appears to not permit receiving texts.

Ho asserts that the expansiveness of the T-Mobile concept makes its implementations appear to have higher possibilities.The transition to the T-Mobile Starlink service description, which uses a portion of the T-Mobile PCS spectrum portfolio, is similar in capability but slightly better.

Additionally, Shah emphasises how much more accessible T-satellite Mobile's connectivity option is—at least in principle. "The majority of 5G phones with modems on T-Mobile, however, support this, and in this instance, SpaceX is leveraging T-mid-band Mobile's spectrum to provide connection in dead zones. Therefore, all that is required of the phone is for it to pick up and hear the signal delivered on a certain band that the modem supports."

Ho cautions, though, that until T-Mobile discloses the results of its testing, we won't really know how well it functions. Therefore, despite the partnership's allure, customers should definitely keep their hopes in check, at least initially.

But Shah points out that the foundation for this kind of connectivity has already been set. This is due to improved support for satellite connectivity in the upcoming 3GPP release 18, which is a part of the newest 5G standard. Additionally, band n53, which Globalstar is employing to assist Apple in achieving its new Emergency SOS function, is supported by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X65 modem, which is present in the iPhone 14 and many of the greatest Android smartphones.

In fact, a new report claims that Apple is utilising the majority of Globalstar's network in order to launch its direct satellite connectivity.

This is only the start.

There is therefore a lot of room for expansion even though direct satellite communication is still a novel feature in consumer smartphones, especially as more carriers join the bandwagon.

Ho adds that "but the service distinction (i.e., user experience - speed and latency) is part of the space competition," and that it is up to OEMs and carriers to make this function properly. "The hardware and software are responsible for this,"

T-Mobile and SpaceX have ambitions to move beyond texting and expand to more robust connectivity like voice and data, offering customers more options when they are outside of conventional cellular coverage, even though the new Starlink V2 satellites haven't even launched yet.

And fortunately, a lot of people are already working to make that happen. According to CEO Abel Avellan of AST SpaceMobile, offering mobile broadband to everyone is the ultimate goal.

There is a misconception that only residents of New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are able to download 30MB onto their phones. However, 5G speeds are available everywhere.

Therefore, with the iPhone 14, Apple may have been one of the pioneers in space travel, but if viewing "For All of Mankind" on Apple TV+ has taught me anything, it's that being the first isn't everything.