Technological inventions often begin large and slow, but they tend to become faster, smarter, and more capable as they shrink and mature.
Recently, Sky and Space Global achieved a milestone for the aerospace, satellite and telecommunications industries by completing the world’s first voice call using its 3 Diamonds nanosatellite technology, a standard smartphone, and SAS proprietary hardware and software.
Historically, nanosatellites were primarily used for earth observation and imaging. However, advances in miniature space systems have rapidly expanded their capabilities. Sky and Space Global is reported to be the first company to successfully use narrowband connectivity from nanosatellites to deliver a voice call. The 3 Diamonds nanosatellites were launched in late June 2017.
Making the first phone call via nanosatellites represents a significant milestone for telecom and satellite communications. This technology enables affordable satellite connectivity for remote regions and emerging markets that lack terrestrial network infrastructure. Such an advance supports SAS’s broader vision of extending communications access.
Sky and Space Global’s text and data services are said to be offered at a fraction of the cost of traditional satellite providers, largely because of reduced capital requirements for infrastructure.
With the successful demonstration of the 3 Diamonds nanosatellite technology, SAS has validated its narrowband communication services and can focus on deploying a constellation of 200 satellites to cover the equatorial belt by 2020. The company has also signed its first binding commercial contract with Sat-Space Africa, a pan-African communications firm.