Skylo

Last updated

Skylo
Industry Telecommunications
Founded2017
Headquarters United States
Key people
Parthsarathi Trivedi
ProductsSatellite communications
Website www.skylo.tech

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]

Contents

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. 1 2 Pegoraro, Rob (March 7, 2025). "Skylo's Satellite-to-Phone Plan: Texting Now, Calls and 'Constrained' Data Later". PCMag. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Dano, Mike (March 11, 2024). "How Skylo is quietly succeeding in the phone-to-satellite race". Light Reading. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  3. ↑ Sheetz, Michael (February 13, 2024). "How satellite connectivity startup Skylo hooked backers such as Intel, BMW and Samsung to raise $37 million". CNBC. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Skylo Raises $30M in Oversubscribed Funding Round to Scale Direct-to-Device Satellite Service Worldwide". Business Wire. February 27, 2025. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  5. ↑ Geelen, Anne (November 26, 2024). "Telekom, Skylo and Qualcomm demonstrate SMS over satellite directly from smartphones". Deutsche Telekom. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Skylo Direct-to-Device Satellite Connectivity for Smartwatches". CES 2026. 2026.
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