Currently leading brands like Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor and Oppo are adding satellite communication support to their smartphones. Many premium phones launched recently have these features. which allows to communicate with acquaintances with the help of satellite while outside the coverage area of the mobile tower. China has enjoyed breakthrough success for the expansion of satellite-based communication systems. Scientists in that country have built the world’s first satellite capable of making calls directly to smartphones without the need for ground-based infrastructure.
China’s Tiantong satellite communication will change the traditional communication system
The destruction of China’s groundbreaking artificial satellite “Tiantong”. Meaning “to connect with heaven”, it is inspired by the biblical story of the “Tower of Babel”, which aims to bridge all communication gaps. The launch of the Tiantong-1 satellite series began with its first launch on August 6, 2016. It now includes three satellites in a geosynchronous orbit of 36,000 km covering the entire Asia-Pacific region.
The progress came to fruition when Huawei Technologies unveiled the world’s first smartphone with satellite connectivity in September last year, reports the South China Morning Post. Later, other manufacturers like Xiaomi, Honor and Oppo also followed suit and introduced satellite connectivity in their phones.
These technological advances have already proven invaluable, especially in emergency situations where traditional communication networks are unavailable. For example, during the 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Gansu province on December 18 last year, victims were able to maintain contact with the outside world thanks to the satellite call function available on their smartphones.
An expert team from the China Academy of Space Technology said that direct satellite connection for mobile phones has become a new development trend and will gradually become popular among the general public. Chinese engineers have paid special attention to the fact that standard smartphones can receive signals from artificial satellites without the need for an external antenna.
