Qualcomm has announced the world’s first satellite-based two-way messaging solution for premium smartphones. The announcement was made at the CES 2023. Snapdragon Satellite will be available globally using mobile messaging around the world. Phones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will be the first to benefit from the new service.

Snapdragon Satellite will allow OEMs and other service provider’s offer truly global coverage. It is powered by Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF Systems and supported by an operational Iridium satellite constellation. The solution utilizes Iridium’s weather-resilient L-band spectrum for uplink and downlink.

Emergency messaging is expected to be available on next-generation smartphones. It will be available in select regions in the second half of 2023. The service won’t be available only on smartphones it will be expanded to other devices. It will be available on Laptops, vehicles, IoT, and tablets. OEMs and app developers can also use the Snapdragon Satellite to offer unique services. The ecosystem is expected to grow and different services will be rolled out using it.

Snapdragon Satellite is planned to support 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN), as NTN satellite infrastructure and constellations become available.

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Garmin Vice President of the outdoor segment Brad Trenkle welcomed the opportunity to expand Garmin’s proven satellite emergency response service to millions of smartphone users globally. Their Garmin response supports thousands of SOS incidents every year and has saved many lives. He also stated that they are excited to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies and Iridium to help people connect to emergency services no matter where life takes them