Samsung unveils smartphone modem for satellite communication

3 years ago 1

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Samsung has unveiled a standardised 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN) modem to enable direct communication between smartphones and satellites.

The company plans to integrate the Exynos Modem 5300 into its future Exynos system-on-chips (SoCs) used in its Galaxy smartphones.

Satellites can provide coverage in areas where land-based (terrestrial) cellular towers can’t reach, including mountainous areas, deserts or over the ocean.

As it stands, establishing a connection from Earth to a satellite requires a satellite phone with a big antenna and chunky internal hardware.

Adding this to a smartphone would make for less visually appealing and practical designs.

However, Samsung and several other companies have been working on smaller systems that allow such connectivity.

The increased availability of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites like those launched by Starlink and OneWeb have also made satellite-to-phone communication more feasible.

Samsung said the Exynos Modem 5300 could accurately predict LEO satellite locations and minimise frequency offsets caused by the Doppler effect.

This technology will not only be able to support two-way text messaging but also high-definition image and video sharing using mid-band 5G frequencies.

Samsung also said satellite-based communication would be critical in assuring operability in disaster areas and powering future urban air mobility such as unmanned aircraft and flying cars.

The modem meets the latest 5G NTN standards defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP Release 17), which will ensure its interoperability and scalability among services offered by global telecoms carriers, mobile device makers and chip companies.

Samsung is also working on a standardised Internet of Things (IoT) NTN technology for its next-generation modem platforms.

“With integrated satellite connectivity, Samsung’s NB-IoT solutions will eliminate the need for a separate high-power wireless antenna chip inside smartphones, providing mobile device makers with much greater design flexibility.”

Satellites to replace towers?

Interest in satellite-based mobile phone communication has picked up pace among telecoms operators and phone manufacturers in recent years.

Apple already offers iPhone 14 users the ability to send basic text messages via satellite during an emergency if they have no terrestrial cellular reception.

However, its system relies primarily on software that guides users to point their device in a certain direction to establish a link with a satellite.

T-Mobile has also partnered with SpaceX to expand its network to areas outside its tower-based coverage by roaming on Starlink satellites.

Closer to home, Vodacom is testing a satellite network for cellphones in partnership with AST SpaceMobile.

Initially, it will be trialling the system in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Industry experts speculate that the increased availability of LEO satellite Internet services like Starlink, OneWeb, and Project Kuiper could prove to be a significant threat to land-based telecoms networks in the coming years.

However, it will likely take some time before the two technologies reach performance and pricing parity.