Iridium confirmed to work on LEO compatibility for upcoming smartphones

TAMPA, Fla. — Updated chipset standards expected to be released late next year could enable mass-market smartphones to connect to Iridium satellites, the carrier said Sept. 25 after it received clearance to operate in compliance.

Iridium said the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the consortium that sets global communications standards for 5G, has approved its request to advance space-based Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) connectivity as a formal work item. Version 19.

The approval paves the way for trials and demonstrations of how devices using industry-standard chips could use an operator’s network in low Earth orbit (LEO) for messaging and SOS services outside of cellular coverage.

Iridium said it has already demonstrated this capability in a laboratory setting in L-band satellite spectrum. Project Stardust to announce direct-to-device strategy in January.

Integrated chips, which have become one of the official items for inclusion in 3GPP’s 17th Edition, may be required by some manufacturers to be produced before 3GPP’s next round of standards, Iridium spokesman Jordan Hassin said via email.

Before moving to Project Stardust, Iridium had planned to partner with chipmaker Qualcomm to deploy proprietary direct-to-device services for Android devices.

But Qualcomm Plans to produce custom chips have been scrapped After failing to convince smartphone and other device manufacturers last year, a new step was taken for the constellation.

“We are already well into our technology development pipeline and are excited about the progress we have made and the overwhelming enthusiasm from the 3GPP community,” Iridium chief technology officer Greg Pelton said in a statement.

“As a cloud-based service, powered by the flexibility of our software-defined satellites and built on recognized industry standards, we were able to get off to a super-fast start.”

The company said its next tests are planned for early next year for a service it now calls Iridium NTN (non-terrestrial network) Direct.

Version 17 is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025.

This fall, US telecommunications company Verizon plans to launch space-compatible emergency text and location services For Android smartphones that can connect to geostationary L-band satellites via the latest standards-based chipsets.

Iridium says smartphones will need less power to connect to satellites in LEO than geostationary spacecraft, which are much farther from Earth and operate fixedly above the equator.

Iridium’s mobile satellite services rival Globalstar has been using its L-band network to enable SOS services on Apple’s latest iPhones since 2022.

Meanwhile, SpaceX, AST SpaceMobile and Lynk Global are developing LEO constellations that can reach smartphones already in circulation using spectrum from cellular partners.

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