BSNL launches satellite-to-device service for satellite texting, calling on smartphones

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has launched India's first satellite-to-device connectivity service. The new service allows smartphone users to send texts and make calls in areas with little-to-zero cellular connectivity. The new service, unveiled at the India Mobile Congress in October, leverages low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites to establish connectivity between devices so that users stranded in a remote location can call emergency contacts and helplines.

The framework for satellite communication is already available on select smartphones, including the latest iPhones and Google Pixels, which BSNL could leverage to allow its users to call and text others in areas without cellular connectivity. According to the Department of Telecom, BSNL's new satellite-to-device service will bring "seamless connectivity" to "India's remotest corners."

BSNL has partnered with Viasat, a California-based communications technology company, to use the latter's LEO satellites for uninterrupted network access in certain parts of India -- primarily the trekking locations in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, far-flung hills in Northeast India, and villages close to Rajasthan's deserts. The state-owned government said its satellite-to-device service has been tested extensively in challenging locations for its capability to maintain a high-quality network that is optimum for sending texts and making calls.

The launch brings India to the map of countries with satellite connectivity systems open for public use, such as the US, Canada, the UK, Japan, and Korea. Although India has had a satellite communication system, it has been restricted to military and government uses. BSNL's new service opens the functionality to the general public, but it will not be accessible unless integrated into devices, such as the iPhone, which introduced satellite services in 2022. Users with compatible iPhone models can use satellite communication to “text emergency services, request roadside assistance, message friends and family, and share your location.”

Whether BSNL will allow all of those services through its satellite connectivity is also unclear currently. The telecom company has also not revealed the pricing structure and minimum user eligibility for this service.