Pixel 9 devices are the first with Google’s Satellite SOS, supported by Skylo
Satellite direct-to-cellular provider Skylo announced that its Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) connectivity is integrated into the new Google Pixel 9 smartphone series, to support emergency communications when a terrestrial cellular network is not available.
“This marks a new era of connectivity and peace of mind for Google Pixel users. For the first time, if you don’t have cellular or Wi-Fi in the US, Pixel users can try to connect to emergency services via satellite to get help and share your location with contacts,” the company said in a statement.
According to a Google blog post about the devices’ capabilities, the Pixel 9 series are the Android devices first to support its Satellite SOS offering, which enables an “emergency questionnaire” describing the user’s situation and location to be sent to first responders, as well as notifying their phone contacts of the emergency. That two-way texting service is only available in the continental United States; it requires that users have Google Message as their default messaging app, but is “available regardless of you carrier plan,” per the post.
A demonstration of the service is also available on the Pixel 9 to walk users through how Satellite SOS works. The Satellite SOS service is included for free, for two years post-activation of a Pixel 9 device, according to fine print from Google.
Skylo has a commercial NTN virtual RAN and provides narrowband NTN connectivity. “Two-way texting, honestly, solves 80% of the use cases that we encounter,” Trivedi told RCR Wireless News earlier this year. Consumers often prefer texting to voice calls anyway, and Trivedi says that Skylo also sees NB-NTN as addressing 80% of IoT use cases.
“Our service has been meticulously developed with both the Pixel and Android teams at Google as well as all our supporting ecosystem partners,” said Parth Trivedi, co-founder and CEO of Skylo. (Access an RCR Wireless News webinar on NTN, featuring Trivedi, here.)
In February of this year, Skylo raised $37 million for its non-terrestrial cellular service, including from the investment arms of Intel, BMW, and Samsung, among others.
