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Google is preparing support for satellite communications for Android smartphones

Recently, the network has been actively discussing information that the upcoming iPhone 14 series smartphones will receive satellite communication support. In parallel, the statement of Elon Musk, who promised that Starlink satellites will directly transmit the Internet to mobile devices on the T-Mobile cellular network, caused special attention. It looks like satellite communications will have a big impact on the smartphone industry next year. So Google announced that they are preparing the corresponding changes in the Android 14 operating system.

Hiroshi Lockheimer, who is currently Google’s senior vice president of development for Android, Chrome, Chrome OS, Google Play, and Google Photos, tweeted that the next version of Android for smartphones will have features that will allow devices to connect to satellites. The top manager did not go into details of how satellite communications will be implemented on mobile devices running Android 14, but the news itself is already extremely interesting.

By the way, Google has been working on the concept of connecting satellites with smartphones for some time. At first, the company had a project to launch Project Loon balloons, which provided Internet access in hard-to-reach regions. Google then invested in SpaceX to support its satellite projects. In addition, the search giant has filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office, which describes a technology for providing communications services using satellites in areas where it is not possible to lay Internet cables. Another application details narrowband communication that connects a smartphone to satellites.

Lockheimer’s tweet says that Google is working with partners to add satellite connectivity to mobile devices next year. However, it is not yet clear whether the term “partners” refers to satellite service providers such as SpaceX and OneWeb, or to mobile operators such as T-Mobile. In any case, the very fact of adding satellite communications is already intriguing.

Source: Trash Box

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