Skylo satellite messaging expansion

In early July, Skylo teamed with Space42 to showcase satellite‑based SMS on Android phones during a demonstration in the United Arab Emirates, marking the first public trial of the technology on non‑iPhone devices. This demonstration successfully tested two-way SMS and emergency SOS capabilities between a standard Android device and the Thuraya-4 satellite, allowing for data exchange such as location sharing without specialized hardware or network alterations.

By the end of July, Skylo sought to broaden its service through a partnership with Globalstar. A filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission revealed Skylo’s request to use additional frequency bands and to introduce a new “ANT 4” device class capable of handling emergency, safety, and short‑message data for up to 250 million Android devices. This follows Skylo’s existing free satellite messaging offerings for Verizon and Google Pixel phones, which rely on satellite partners including Viasat, EchoStar, Inmarsat, and Ligado Networks.

The market is seeing intensifying competition, with SpaceX acquiring spectrum from EchoStar and AST SpaceMobile partnering with Ligado. Additionally, Space42 is planning a venture called Equatys with Viasat to provide shared satellite infrastructure for mobile operators. Amid these shifts, analysts have noted that Skylo could face displacement from existing agreements as the satellite-messaging landscape reshapes.