"Skylo, which styles itself as a pioneer in non-terrestrial network (NTN) communications, says it has made the first satellite-borne voice calls using NB-NTN (narrowband-NTN) technology, and is teasing a rapid rollout in countries where it already has regulatory approval. If it arrives somewhere soon, Skylo will be the first to provide commercial voice services over satellite via ordinary smartphones. The firm told us that the exact timeline will depend on a number of factors, but it expects to see adoption by next year."
""This milestone is a major breakthrough enabling mobile network operators (MNOs) to deliver an expansive set of revenue-generating services that their subscribers need and will love. NTN Voice Calling is something no other network can deliver at global commercial scale," claimed Skylo co-founder and chief product officer Tarun Gupta. Skylo doesn't operate satellites itself, but uses spectrum from other providers such as Viasat and EchoStar, making it a kind of space-based virtual network operator, selling its services on to terrestrial phone networks."
Skylo has completed the first satellite-borne voice calls using NB-NTN (narrowband-NTN) technology and plans a rapid rollout in countries with regulatory approval. Skylo expects to be the first to offer commercial satellite voice services to ordinary smartphones, with potential user adoption targeted by next year. The company positions NTN Voice Calling as a new revenue-generating service for mobile network operators and says the service can operate at global commercial scale. Skylo uses spectrum from partners such as Viasat and EchoStar and claims authorized coverage across most of Europe, North America, Australasia, and parts of South America. The Skylo Voice Gateway uses advanced, AI-based compression to fit audio into narrowband satellite channels. Satellite calling is intended for use when users are outside terrestrial cellular coverage, such as rural areas.
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