The UK could greenlight direct-to-phone satellite tv for pc television for laptop corporations this 12 months

In case you keep in a rural area of the UK, it is potential you will shortly be able to use your cellphone for satellite tv for pc television for laptop calls, messages and totally different regular data use. On Tuesday, the nation's telecom regulator, Ofcom, proposed using direct-to-device satellite tech to connect people inside the UK's "most rural and hard-to-reach areas," like mountains and distant villages.

Ofcom sees the tech complementing standard networks, aiming to supply 100 laptop cell safety inside the UK. The regulator talked about the tech may also current backup safety all through outages, provide service to ships and passengers in coastal waters and never utilizing a connection and provide emergency 999 corporations (the UK's mannequin of 911) in distant areas.

In January, British telecom Vodafone made the world's first satellite video call using a standard mobile phone on a distant mountain in west Wales.

In regards to the regulatory particulars, Ofcom suggests amending current cell spectrum licenses for frequencies already utilized by cellular suppliers (beneath 3 GHz). Nonetheless, the regulator moreover offered totally different approaches, along with introducing a model new license for satellite tv for pc television for laptop corporations or allowing license-exempt use if certain conditions are met. Regardless of its explicit protection technique, Ofcom talked about strict conditions could be hooked as much as avoid interference with current spectrum prospects inside the UK and overseas.

Ofcom is opening a session interval with stakeholders from now to May 20. Counting on the recommendations it receives, it might begin authorizing direct-to-device calls later this 12 months.

The iPhone 14 assortment was the first regular handset to offer direct-to-satellite emergency messaging. In iOS 18, Apple expanded the efficiency previous crises to any situation where you're off the grid. The Samsung Galaxy S25 series and Google Pixel 9 simply currently added similar functionality.

This textual content initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cell/smartphones/the-uk-could-greenlight-direct-to-phone-satellite-services-this-year-183504094.html?src=rss

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