Tag: satellite

Samsung recently announced its new 5G modem chip, the Exynos Modem 5410. This 4nm chip is currently in mass production and is expected to be a standard feature in next year's flagship Galaxy S26 series. Its biggest highlight is its comprehensively upgraded satellite communication capabilities, even enabling video calls directly via satellite. Satellite communication is no longer just for emergencies; it supports three major technologies. Current satellite communication functions are mostly limited to emergency SOS text transmission, but the Exynos 5410 clearly aims to do more. Samsung states that this chip supports all three major satellite communication technologies: • NB-IoT NTN (Internet of Things Non-Terrestrial Network): This is the basic version, used for location sharing and simple text transmission in remote areas (similar to existing emergency SOS). • LTE DTC (Direct-to-Cell): Further expands capabilities, allowing phones to make voice calls directly via satellite. • NR-NTN (5G Non-Terrestrial Network): Allows ordinary phones to connect to 5G satellite networks, with bandwidth large enough to support video calls and large file transfers. This means that in the future, if you take your Galaxy S26 to a remote mountain area, you can not only send coordinates for help, but you might even be able to directly broadcast the scenery to friends via satellite signal bandwidth. Download speeds soar to 14.79Gbps, and security protection against "quantum" attacks is also a key feature. In terms of network speed, the Exynos 5410's data throughput is quite impressive. By supporting 5G NR dual connectivity technology and utilizing both FR1 (Sub-6GHz) and FR2 (millimeter wave) bands simultaneously, its maximum download speed can reach 14.79Gbps. Even using the FR1 band alone, through 380MHz bandwidth aggregation, it can achieve a transmission speed of 11.2Gbps. Furthermore, to address future cybersecurity threats, this chip incorporates ROM-based hybrid post-quantum cryptography (PQC)...

To seize future global communications opportunities, the Taiwan NextGen Communications Alliance (TNGCA), initiated by the Taipei Computer Association (TCA), was officially established today (December 1st). This alliance aims to promote the development of communications technology and cross-domain cooperation in Taiwan. Initially, it has brought together leading domestic telecom operators, electronics manufacturers, chip designers, and system integrators, targeting the development and market expansion of cutting-edge technologies such as 6G, space satellite communications, and HAPS (High Altitude Platforms). Chunghwa Telecom is leading the alliance, with Far EasTone, Pegatron, and LTECH serving as vice presidents. The first president of the alliance is Chien Chih-cheng, chairman of Chunghwa Telecom. The vice presidents include Ching Chi, general manager of Far EasTone Telecommunications; Feng Chen-yu, general manager of Pegatron; and Liu Jui-lung, general manager of LTECH. In addition, the membership list also includes major technology companies such as AU Optronics and Acer, demonstrating the consolidation momentum of Taiwan's ICT industry. Chien Chih-cheng pointed out that the establishment of the alliance echoes President Lai's "Five Trusted Industries" policy, especially the vision of "chasing the sky and exploring the ocean" in the next-generation communications industry. The government plans to allocate a budget of NT$27 billion over six years, which provides an excellent opportunity for Taiwanese companies with end-to-end design and manufacturing capabilities. From IC design, communication modules, equipment manufacturing to system integration, combined with domestic applications in smart cities, transportation, and manufacturing, Taiwan has a high advantage in embracing new technologies. Laying out the key battlefield for 2030: From the ground to space, HAPS, and 6G. Chien Chih-cheng emphasized that the global communications industry has entered the technology layout phase from 2029 to 2030, and is about to usher in the space competition of 6G and NTN (non-terrestrial networks). Although Taiwanese companies perform well in their respective fields, only through horizontal coordination and vertical integration through the alliance can they connect with international next-generation communication technologies. The alliance aims to assist Taiwan's industry chain in entering the complete supply chain from HAPS, Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) to High Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites, and to expand from Pre-6G to the 6G era. Three Visions: Aligning with International Standards, Cultivating Talent, and Achieving Technological Autonomy. The "Taiwan Next-Generation Communications Industry Alliance" has established three major visions and five goals: • Aligning with International Standards: ...

According to a report by Bloomberg News reporter Mark Gurman in his latest "Power On" newsletter, Apple is actively developing a series of new iPhone satellite connectivity features, aiming to significantly expand its applications beyond "Emergency SOS." Five new satellite features are under development, including API integration to enable third-party apps. The report indicates that the new features Apple is internally developing include: • Apple Maps satellite navigation: Allowing Apple Maps navigation via satellite signals even without mobile data or Wi-Fi (presumably including satellite transmission of map data). • Satellite message transmission: Expanding the existing satellite messaging function to support sending photos via satellite, no longer limited to plain text. • Natural Usage: Aiming to make the satellite connectivity experience more seamless, allowing the iPhone to connect to satellite even indoors, in a pocket, or in a car, without having to point the phone at the sky as it currently does. • 5G NTN Support: iPhones in 2026 are expected to offer wider support for 5G NTN (non-terrestrial network), allowing mobile base stations to extend coverage using satellites. • Satellite API Framework for Third-Party Apps: Apple plans to provide a set of APIs that will allow developers to "voluntarily" integrate satellite connectivity into their apps...

To counter the growing power of SpaceX, three major European aerospace manufacturers have officially finalized an agreement to integrate their respective space business units into a new joint venture. The Financial Times reports that this "European space leader," a joint venture between Airbus (founded by France, Germany, Spain, and the UK), Leonardo SpA (Italy), and Thales (France), has the potential to become a strong competitor to SpaceX. With the integration of resources, Airbus will hold a 35% stake, making it the largest shareholder. According to the finalized agreement, the unnamed joint venture will be headquartered in France and is expected to employ approximately 25000 people. In terms of shareholding structure, Airbus will hold 35% of the shares, while Leonardo and Thales will each hold 32.5%. In a joint statement, the three companies emphasized: "This proposed new company marks a key milestone for the European space industry. It embodies our shared vision of building a stronger and more competitive European force in an increasingly dynamic global space market." The statement also mentioned that by pooling talent, resources, expertise, and R&D capabilities, the new company aims to "create growth, accelerate innovation, and deliver greater value to customers and stakeholders." Objective: Strengthening European Space Sovereignty and Countering Starlink. Senior executives expect the new company to better meet Europe's need for "sovereignty" in the space sector, particularly in building its own system to rival SpaceX's Starlink low-Earth orbit satellite communication network. Strengthening its presence in space is also seen as a key element in enhancing Europe's overall security and defense capabilities. Notably, Thales and Airbus, long-time competitors in the satellite market, have now joined forces, demonstrating the European industry's awareness of the urgency of resource integration. Leonardo, renowned for its expertise in space systems and services, further strengthens the potential of this three-company alliance to challenge SpaceX. Operating independently and retaining existing sites, the three companies stated that they currently have no plans to close existing sites, and countries will retain their existing space capabilities and facilities. The new company will operate as an independent entity, much like a well-funded startup. The report indicates that the new company's primary task will be to find more efficient ways to develop and manufacture satellites, thereby addressing cost and speed pressures from competitors like SpaceX. Operational by 2027? Regulatory approval is still pending. Discussions about the merger date back to 2019. While the agreement is now finalized, it still requires approval from relevant regulatory bodies. The three companies anticipate that, if all goes smoothly, the new joint venture could officially begin operations as early as 2027. Meanwhile, SpaceX, its main competitor, is actively developing its next-generation Starship super-heavy launch vehicle and is also slowly advancing its manned lunar landing program, although the latter seems to have recently encountered some obstacles that could lead to delays.

SpaceX unveiled the specifications of its next-generation V3 Starlink satellites during its 11th Starship flight test livestream, touting gigabit-level connectivity for users worldwide and a download capacity of 60TB per second for the entire Starlink network, marking a significant milestone in the company's satellite network technology development. The specifications and performance are significantly improved compared to the current version. Each satellite weighs 2000 kg, more than three times the weight of the current V2 Mini satellite (less than 600 kg) and nearly seven times the weight of the first-generation V1 satellite (approximately 300 kg). In terms of transmission performance, each V3 satellite will have 1000 Gbps download bandwidth and 200 Gbps upload bandwidth, offering more than 10 times the speed of the V2 model, and adding 20 times the network capacity of the existing V2 Mini satellites with each launch. The larger V3 @Starlink satellites that will deploy from Starship will bring gigabit connectivity to users...

Following the announcement of the iPhone 17 series, Apple stated in an update that it will offer an additional year of free satellite connectivity service for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15. This marks the third time Apple has extended the free satellite connectivity service since the launch of the iPhone 14 series. Apple first added satellite connectivity to the iPhone 14 series in 2022, partnering with satellite connectivity provider Globalstar. Subsequent updates in iOS 18 further added features such as satellite messaging and connecting to "Find My." While the initial announcement stated that the satellite connectivity service would only be offered free for two years, Apple has consistently extended the free period with each new model release. This time, as long as the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 series devices are activated before 12:00 AM (Pacific Time) on September 9, 2025, they will receive another year of free satellite connectivity service. Some believe Apple might not charge for this service, given that it could be used as a key selling point, similar to the Apple Watch's health-related features, and even as a product marketing case study. However, if users lose contact due to not subscribing to the satellite connectivity service and miss out on crucial medical opportunities, it could have a significant negative impact on Apple. Therefore, Apple might prefer to bear the costs associated with the satellite connectivity service, allowing users to continue using this feature for free. However, Apple has not officially explained the specific reasons for continuing to offer the satellite connectivity service for free, nor has it disclosed the actual cost of its satellite connectivity service.

Google has announced a new artificial intelligence model called AlphaEarth Foundations, which boasts the ability to observe Earth's changes like a "virtual satellite." This model combines vast amounts of publicly available data from optical satellites, radar, climate simulations, and other sources, using embedded processing to create a real-time updated view of the Earth, helping researchers quickly grasp various changes in the Earth's environment. Unlike traditional satellite imagery processing, AlphaEarth Foundations does not rely on a single data source. Instead, it collects massive amounts of data daily from various Earth observation systems, including climate models, telemetry imagery, and surface material parameters. It divides the global landmass and coastal areas into 10-meter x 10-meter grids, then performs automated feature analysis and tracking on each grid, capturing everything from vegetation type to land use changes. According to Google, the "embedded summaries" produced by AlphaEarth Foundations not only present the surface changes in various regions but also significantly reduce file size, requiring only 1/16th the storage space of similar AI models on average. This effectively reduces data processing and storage costs, making Earth observation research more efficient and scalable. In its official statement, Google stated, "AlphaEarth Foundations represents a major leap forward in our ability to observe the state and dynamics of the Earth." The model can handle multiple application tasks across different time periods, including accurately mapping crop health, analyzing deforestation, and predicting coastal erosion risks. Over the past year, Google has made the AlphaEarth Foundations dataset, "Satellite Embedding," available to more than 50 research institutions worldwide for practical application testing. This dataset contains annual embedded data summaries, helping scientists build spatial data models centered on time-series changes. This dataset is now officially available on Google Earth Engine, allowing more research institutions and developers to further utilize it in various fields. For example, research institutions can use the detailed land cover information provided by AlphaEarth Foundations to monitor crop health and water supply in a region, or use models to track changes in forest area, providing early warnings for tropical rainforest conservation and illegal logging. Furthermore, climate change research can analyze historical coastal change data to assess the actual impact of sea-level rise on different regions. Beyond precision and efficiency, Google also emphasizes the flexibility and scalability of AlphaEarth Foundations, which is expected to incorporate more data sources and even integrate with real-time observation systems to achieve near-real-time global environmental monitoring. Google has been investing in AI research for Earth observation and sustainable development for several years, including providing a cloud-based environmental imagery data analysis platform through Google Earth Engine to assist government agencies and researchers in monitoring climate change and natural resources. AlphaEarth Foundations represents a new phase in this project, moving from simple data visualization to deep AI model inference, further accelerating and deepening humanity's understanding of the Earth's condition. With extreme weather, natural disasters, and human-caused damage becoming increasingly severe, real-time understanding of the Earth's environmental dynamics has become a crucial global issue. Google's AI-driven virtual satellite project not only allows research institutions to overcome the technical hurdles of satellite image processing but also provides new solutions for smart environmental management and global sustainable development. Currently, Google continues to adjust the model architecture and data update frequency of AlphaEarth Foundations. In the future, it may expand to a more detailed spatial scale or add more AI-driven prediction functions, so that Earth observation can truly enter a new era centered on artificial intelligence.

After months of testing, T-Mobile announced the official launch of its "T-Satellite" satellite mobile service in partnership with SpaceX's Starlink, initially available to all users in the United States. This service connects via more than 650 low-Earth orbit satellites, primarily targeting areas where traditional mobile networks struggle to reach, allowing smartphones to maintain basic messaging and communication capabilities, further supplementing mobile connectivity needs in remote areas, outdoors, and even during natural disasters. The launch of T-Satellite, a practical enhancement for remote areas and disaster response, represents a significant step forward for T-Mobile in expanding its mobile communication coverage. According to official statements, nearly 200 million test users are currently using the service for text messaging, covering "off-the-grid" areas such as hiking trails and construction sites. This service will play a crucial role during extreme weather and major disasters. For example, during the Los Angeles wildfires, over 41 people used satellite networks to contact family and friends, and after the recent floods in Texas, nearly 9.4 people used T-Satellite to send messages. Supporting Android and iOS, multiple applications are optimized for satellite connectivity. T-Satellite currently supports iOS and Android systems and can be used with many mainstream applications and services, including Google, AllTrails, AccuWeather, WhatsApp, and "X" (formerly Twitter). These services are optimized for satellite data transmission, allowing users to connect with the world via SMS even in areas without cell tower signals. Currently, T-Satellite only supports text messaging and does not yet support voice and data transfer. Whether advanced features will be added in the future depends on technology and network capacity adjustments. T-Mobile collaborates with other operators, allowing non-T-Mobile users to subscribe. Although T-Satellite is a service provided by T-Mobile, it is not only free for T-Mobile Experience Beyond subscribers, but also available to other T-Mobile users for a monthly fee of $10. Even non-T-Mobile users can subscribe using the same monthly fee. T-Mobile stated that T-Satellite will expand its functionality in the future, including free calls to the US emergency number 911, expected to be available by the end of 2025, strengthening T-Satellite's role in disaster relief and response. The key driving force behind this service is its collaboration with Starlink technology. Starlink currently has over 650 satellites in low Earth orbit and continues to add dozens every month. T-Mobile and Starlink announced their collaboration in 2022 to develop a direct-connect satellite communication service for mobile phones, and after nearly three years of testing and network adjustments, it has finally achieved commercialization. This not only enhances Starlink's practicality for consumer applications but also makes T-Mobile one of the world's first providers of direct-connect mobile services. The official launch of T-Satellite, besides highlighting T-Mobile's ambition to expand the boundaries of mobile networks, may also become a significant watershed moment in future communication technologies. As more and more regions around the world face extreme weather challenges, the redundancy capabilities and wide-area communications of mobile networks are becoming crucial, and satellite communications are expected to move from a niche market into mainstream applications. On the other hand, T-Satellite may also drive mobile phone manufacturers such as Apple and Google to further optimize satellite communication support for their devices. Apple introduced SMS satellite communication functionality as early as the iPhone 14 and has since partnered with Globalstar to expand coverage. Meanwhile, Android brands such as Samsung, Huawei, and Honor are also continuously developing satellite communication capabilities.

In his keynote address at Google I/O 2025, Google CEO Sundar Pichai concluded by referencing the FireSat project, announced in mid-March, to illustrate how technology can transform lives. FireSat, launched in March from Vandenberg Space Flight Center in California aboard a SpaceX Transporter-13 rocket, is a satellite capable of surveying the Earth's surface from high altitudes and using artificial intelligence to identify and track wildfires within an area of ​​approximately 270 square feet (about 5 x 5 square meters). Pichai stated that compared to current satellite systems with an average response time delay of up to 12 hours, which can exacerbate wildfires, FireSat can respond within 20 minutes. This means faster updates to surface imagery, allowing rescue workers to quickly grasp the situation and extinguish wildfires before they escalate. The faster response time also allows researchers to record more information about wildfire spread, enabling them to predict the fire's trajectory using artificial intelligence analysis. According to information released by Google, FireSat is the result of collaboration between Google Research, aerospace startup Muon Space, the Earth Fire Alliance, the Moore Foundation, and wildfire management agencies. Part of the initial funding for the satellite came from Google.org, which provided $13 million through the "AI Collaboration: Wildfire" project, aiming to leverage the potential of artificial intelligence to reduce the economic, humanitarian, and environmental losses caused by wildfires.

Following the FCC's recent conditional approval of their satellite communications service (limited to areas without telecommunications network signal), T-Mobile and Starlink have begun accepting applications from interested parties to participate in testing the service. The first wave of testing will take place between 2025, and applications are open to all users of T-Mobile telecommunications services and compatible devices. However, the number of available slots is limited, with priority given to emergency medical services and specific users requiring the service. In the initial approval, the FCC allowed Starlink and T-Mobile to use up to 7500 second-generation Starlink satellites to transmit network signals to the ground. The limitation to areas without telecommunications network signal is primarily to avoid interference with other network services. Currently, the FCC has not yet decided whether to allow Starlink to increase the power of its satellite signal transmission to provide sufficient network resources to support instant messaging and video calls; currently, it can only handle SMS messaging. T-Mobile stated that satellite connectivity will allow users to send distress signals in emergencies and maintain contact with the outside world by sending and receiving messages. It also boasts that, in partnership with Starlink, it has provided network signals to approximately 50 square miles of areas in the United States that were previously unreachable by traditional base stations, thereby enabling more users to connect to the Internet via satellite.