Samsung has joined the race to enable two-way communication on smartphones via satellite. The upcoming Exynos modem 2026 will allow users in very remote areas (or disaster areas where utilities have been disabled) to communicate with the world using 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN).
The new modem implements the standard 3GPP version 001 to ensure compatibility with emerging telecom networks and smartphones developed hardware and software Interoperability Manufacturer.
Here is an example of how NTN communication works. Your smartphone can send messages to satellites (and “other non-terrestrial vehicles”), which then bounce the messages to ground stations, which in turn relay the messages to the regular cellular network for other users to receive.
This is two-way communication, so messages can flow the other way too. And not just text, in the future users will be able to send high-resolution photos and videos via satellite.
Of course, this will be used in smartphones, but Samsung also sees “Urban Air Mobility” The use of vehicles, such as flying cars and drones. You don’t want people who lose their connection mid-flight.
Regardless, Samsung also said it was working on Narrowband IoT technology (NB-IoT), which would eliminate the need for high-power antenna chips inside a separate phone.
6G,” said Min Goo Kim, Executive Vice President of Communications Processor Development at Samsung Electronics. For 6G, the South Korean government hopes to have a 6G network prototype ready in 2026.
As for now, in January of this year, Qualcomm released the Snapdragon Satellite , which also aims to enable satellite two-way messaging for smartphones. We should start seeing the first such devices in the second half of this year. By the way, Qualcomm also supports Apple’s satellite technology.
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2026
