On the afternoon of the 28th, on the rooftop of the Seoul Twin City Namsan building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. When an employee of the U.S. satellite communications provider Skylo pressed the "SOS" button while holding a Google Pixel smartphone, options appeared on the screen to choose what kind of emergency it was. After selecting "vehicle," "no injuries," and "isolated," a rescue request sentence was automatically completed. When the smartphone then sent a message to a satellite, an acknowledgment signal came back from the Garmin Emergency Response Center, a Pixel phone emergency rescue partner. This was a demonstration of a D2D (Direct-to-Device, direct satellite link) service, in which a smartphone communicates directly with a satellite without going through a base station.
◇ Smartphones are becoming satellite phones… standards will link terrestrial networks and satellites
Smartphone makers are rapidly adding D2D features to their devices. Apple introduced satellite SOS via the satellite operator Globalstar in the iPhone 14 series in 2022, and Google introduced satellite SOS in the Pixel 9 series in 2024 through Skylo. Samsung Electronics applied satellite communications to the Galaxy S25 in 2025 by partnering with Verizon Communications Inc. and Skylo. In Korea, the institutional foundation and commercial services for D2D are not yet in place, so even if devices and chips support satellite communications, ordinary users cannot use them. Skylo said, "We conducted the demonstration today under a temporary license rather than formal authorization." SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet is available in Korea, but it requires a dedicated terminal, so it is different from D2D.
Skylo was founded in 2017 by engineers and scientists from MIT and Stanford. It operates commercial satellite connections in 41 countries. Samsung Electronics, Google, Qualcomm, Verizon Communications Inc., and Garmin are key partners. In addition to smartphones, it consolidates satellite communications with a range of devices including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearables, and cars.
Skylo said that just as mobile communications have a global common specification (the 3GPP standard) that allows smartphones to work overseas through roaming, its strength is pulling the "sky" into the same standard to seamlessly connect terrestrial networks and satellites into one network. Tarun Gupta, Skylo co-founder and chief business officer (CBO), said, "Most satellite services switch to satellites after the existing terrestrial consolidation is cut off, whereas Skylo connects to the satellite first before the signal is lost, based on the 3GPP standard," adding, "We bundle terrestrial and satellite networks into one to provide seamless consolidation anytime, anywhere."
Another feature of Skylo is that it does not launch its own satellites. It partners with existing satellite operators that own satellites and provides services on their frequencies. Gupta, the CBO, said, "Without spending billions of dollars to launch new satellites, we can provide services that save lives as soon as tomorrow," adding, "We can provide satellite consolidation to users around the world without incurring the massive expense of satellite manufacturing and launches."
◇ "Needed even in Korea with 90% coverage"… pushing into the Korean market
Korea, with its small land area and broad network coverage, does not have as much D2D demand as other countries. On this, Gupta, the CBO, said, "Korea's mobile penetration is 100% by population, but geographic coverage is around 90%," adding, "Given Korea's geographic characteristics, with about 4,400 islands, satellite consolidation is important." He continued, "In disasters, base stations can be destroyed, so satellite communications are the optimal complement," and "Text usage based on non-terrestrial networks (NTN), including satellite communications, surges up to fourfold during 'three-day or longer holidays,' which shows satellite communications are used not only in disasters but also as a daily consolidation tool."
Skylo is pushing to enter the Korean market. However, it did not present a specific commercialization timeline. On the timing for passing Ministry of Science and ICT certification and the target timing for commercialization for service in Korea, Gupta, the CBO, said, "By leveraging existing satellite operators, we can follow the formalized certification procedures in each country," adding, "We are working closely with regulators to follow the proper procedures." On whether it would partner with domestic carriers, he said, "We are actively in talks with carriers worldwide, including in Korea, but it is difficult to disclose details at this time."