World’s First Orbiter that allows Smartphones to make direct Satellite Calls

Posted 15 Apr 2024

2 min read

Chinese scientists have developed world’s first satellite series (Tiantong-1) capable of enabling smartphone calls without the need for ground-based infrastructure such as Base Transceiver Station (BTSs) or cellular towers.

About Chinese Satellite Communication Technology (SCT)
- Tiantong-1 series of satellites consist of three satellites placed in geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of ~36000 km, covering entire Asia-Pacific region from Middle East to the Pacific Ocean.
  - Geosynchronous orbit is a special position high above the Earth that allows an object to keep pace with the rotation our planet.
- In Sep 2023, Huawei Technologies released the world’s first smartphone that supported satellite calls, by directly connecting to the Tiantong satellites.

Under Telecommunications Act, 2023 satellite communication companies can get spectrum without auction for point-to-point communications.
Department of Telecommunication (DoT) issues Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) Licenses for satellite telephony.
- Earlier, Bharati Group and Reliance Group have been issued GMPCS license.

Significance of SCT
- Accessibility: Seamless and ubiquitous access to communication services in remote, rural, and hard-to-reach areas.
- Contingency planning: SCT can be crucial during natural disasters or other emergencies when terrestrial networks may be damaged or disrupted.
- Military and Defense applications: Can enable secure and reliable communication, navigation, surveillance, and intelligence gathering.

Concerns associated with SCT: Space debris and orbital congestion, regulatory and governance challenges due to issues of international coordination and liability, cyber threats such as jamming, spoofing, etc.

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