Company:Skylo
| Industry | Telecommunications |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Parthsarathi Trivedi |
| Products | Satellite communications |
| Website | www |
Skylo is a satellite communications company headquartered in Mountain View, California that provides connectivity based on 3GPP Rel-17 for SMS, sensor data, and other low-bandwidth services, with plans that include voice calls and limited data for consumer devices.[1] It connects regular cellular devices to satellites through existing satellite networks so they can work when terrestrial cellular coverage is not available, using a system that works with satellite operators, mobile networks, and device makers.[2]
History
Skylo was founded in 2017 by a team from Stanford University's space lab. The company first focused on satellite connectivity for IoT devices, then moved into direct-to-device satellite services for smartphones after satellite messaging appeared on consumer phones in the early 2020s.[2]
Skylo built its system around NB-IoT and later 3GPP Release 17 standards for phone-to-satellite communications, and its network and support systems were deployed around that technology. By 2024, Skylo said its systems had already handled more than one million satellite-based messages.[2]
In 2024, Skylo raised US$37 million in funding from Intel Capital and Innovation Endeavors, with participation from venture funds linked to BMW and Samsung.[3] In 2025, Skylo announced another US$30 million funding round led by NGP Capital and said it had expanded commercial service to the United States, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.[4]
Services
Skylo provides direct-to-device satellite connectivity that allows compatible smartphones and IoT devices to send and receive SMS when cellular coverage is not available, using 3GPP Release 17 non-terrestrial network standards. In a trial in Greece, Skylo's satellite network was integrated into Cosmote's mobile network to enable SMS over a geostationary satellite using a device powered by the Snapdragon X80 modem-RF system.[5]
On consumer smartphones, Skylo's service has been available on Pixel 9 phones and Verizon Galaxy S25 models, starting with emergency satellite messaging and expanding to everyday SMS text messaging. Voice calls and a limited amount of data are expected to be rolled out for consumer devices.[1]
For wearables, Skylo's direct-to-device satellite connectivity for smartwatches was named a CES Innovation Awards honoree in 2026. Skylo's network has powered Satellite SOS on select smartphones since August 2024 and Satellite SMS since March 2025, and in August 2025 a smartwatch with built-in satellite communications powered by Skylo was introduced with the Google Pixel Watch 4.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pegoraro, Rob (2025-03-07). "Skylo's Satellite-to-Phone Plan: Texting Now, Calls and 'Constrained' Data Later". PCMag. https://www.pcmag.com/news/skylo-satellite-to-phone-plan-texting-now-calls-data-later-mwc-2025?test_uuid=04IpBmWGZleS0I0J3epvMrC&test_variant=B.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Dano, Mike (2024-03-11). "How Skylo is quietly succeeding in the phone-to-satellite race". Light Reading. https://www.lightreading.com/satellite/how-skylo-is-quietly-succeeding-in-the-phone-to-satellite-race.
- ↑ Sheetz, Michael (2024-02-13). "How satellite connectivity startup Skylo hooked backers such as Intel, BMW and Samsung to raise $37 million". CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/13/startup-skylo-raises-37-million-from-intel-bmw-samsung.html.
- ↑ "Skylo Raises $30M in Oversubscribed Funding Round to Scale Direct-to-Device Satellite Service Worldwide". Business Wire. 2025-02-27. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250227282650/en/Skylo-Raises-%2430M-in-Oversubscribed-Funding-Round-to-Scale-Direct-to-Device-Satellite-Service-Worldwide.
- ↑ Geelen, Anne (2024-11-26). "Telekom, Skylo and Qualcomm demonstrate SMS over satellite directly from smartphones". Deutsche Telekom. https://www.telekom.com/en/media/media-information/archive/telekom-and-partners-demonstrate-sms-via-satellite-1083916.
- ↑ "Skylo Direct-to-Device Satellite Connectivity for Smartwatches". CES 2026. 2026. https://www.ces.tech/ces-innovation-awards/2026/skylo-direct-to-device-satellite-connectivity-for-smartwatches/.
External links
 |  |
