“ ‘Hello CES,’ from Space.“ Brought to you by Skylo
Imagine a world where you can stay connected from anywhere, regardless of whether you’re in your backyard or in the desert.
Skylo Team
January 17, 2023
3GPP
NTN
Imagine a world where you can stay connected from anywhere, regardless of whether you’re in your backyard or in the desert. A world where tracking anything is possible cross-country or in the middle of the ocean. Many of us are reliant on ubiquitous connectivity. But 85% of the planet’s geography doesn’t have cell service - and it’s often when you’re not near a cell tower that you need connectivity the most.
The annual CES show in Las Vegas showcases the newest and most exciting technology in the world, bringing hundreds of thousands of individuals together who want to be in the know. After being at CES, it is clear to us that almost all new technology frontiers require connectivity. Perhaps the most significant movement underway at the moment in connectivity is the convergence of the cellular and satellite industries. All of us at Skylo are thrilled to be part of this movement, and we announced three new partnerships that week that advance our mission to connect anyone, anywhere:
1. Like our smart watches and cars, industrial trucks, containers, and our electricity grid, among others, are all now capable of transmitting their data over wireless networks.This helps enterprises track the location or remotely monitor parameters of things they care about. Most of the time, enterprise machines and sensors connect over cellular or Wi-Fi, but what happens when you can’t reach either? Quectel Wireless Solutions is the leading producer of IoT modules - in layman’s terms, they make the modems that connect machines and sensors to the internet. Thanks to a new partnership with Skylo, select Quectel modules will be able to offer satellite connectivity with itsIoT modules. The technology Quectel’s modules in conjunction with Skylo’s network will allow for seamless switching between cellular and satellite connectivity. This breakthrough will bring satellite connections to millions of devices and has applications across consumer devices such as e-bikes, cars, pet trackers or wearables, as well as enterprise applications like maritime, agriculture and logistics.
2. For anyone who has gone on a cross country road trip, you know that as soon as you get out to the “middle of nowhere,” the less likely you are to have cell service. Bullitt Group, the leading “rugged” smartphone manufacturer, announced “Bullitt Satellite Connect” - a breakthrough service that will allow for messaging over satellite connectivity powered by Skylo. This is a huge step forward for consumer applications of satellite connectivity. We were excited to make this announcement with Bullitt at CES and join them for an adventure to the desert, where they showed just how their new messaging service will work. Traveling to remote locations means that you can still stay in touch with your loved ones and stay safe. Bullitt received the CES Innovations Honoree Award for the Bullitt Satellite Connect technology, which will be available starting in Q1 of this year under the Motorola Defy smartphone brand.
3. Speaking of keeping you safe in the middle of nowhere, we also announced a partnership with FocusPoint International, a crisis management company that specializes in Emergency Response as a Service. By partnering with Skylo, FocusPoint will offer its “Overwatch and Rescue” flagship solution – and therefore peace of mind – fully integrating into devices that use Skylo’s network. Now, users will be able to access emergency services via satellite whether their car breaks down in the city or out in the country if they have Skylo service.
Our three newest partnerships solidify our commitment to connectivity, innovation and our role as a global industry leader. We can’t wait to share with you what’s next.
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