At Skylo, we are transforming the way the world connects by pioneering seamless satellite-based direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity. At this year’s CES in Las Vegas, we wanted to highlight some of the exciting developments we have made and what users can expect from Skylo this year.
.jpg)
At Skylo, we are transforming the way the world connects by pioneering seamless satellite-based direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity. At this year’s CES in Las Vegas, we wanted to highlight some of the exciting developments we have made and what users can expect from Skylo this year. The Skylo team was busy this year! Our CEO, Parth Trivedi contributed to a panel discussion and our team hosted a media breakfast with 25 reporters from across the industry. Read more to learn about our time at CES.
Our CEO and Co-Founder, Parth Trivedi, joined Timothy Last, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Iridium Satellite, and Barbee Ponder, General Counsel and Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Globalstar, Inc. for a panel discussion on new business models in the D2D market. They talked about their go-to-market strategies, end-user experience, how to monetize these services, and challenges in the market.
The direct-to-device business model has come naturally to Skylo. Parth emphasized that our strategy always begins with the consumer experience. Whether in smartphones, wearable devices, automotive, or IoT devices, it is crucial to understand how the consumer will actually use the product. Therefore, making the consumer aware of these new D2D services is our first step. This way, Skylo can create a predictable user experience and a common service baseline.
Because the user experience is at the heart of our technology, we conducted a survey to understand more about what users care about the most. Parth shared some of these results during this panel discussion:
There has been a clear shift in how Internet content is being consumed. Users are focused on text-based experiences, whether that be peer-to-peer or peer-to-AI.
Next, the panelists discussed how to monetize these direct-to-device services. With many players in the ecosystem, it isn’t clear how to approach this. Parth shared Skylo’s wholesale B2B service operator model. Skylo doesn’t go to the consumer directly and instead works on partnering with devices and carriers. We focus on three main verticals, smartphones, automotive, and IoT, each with its own nuisances in bringing users online. For example, in the IoT market, we have the only industry certification program to certify devices, chipsets, and modules with Skylo. In this vertical, Skylo aims to educate consumers on the developer experience to access new modes of connectivity.
Lastly, Parth, Timothy, and Barbee shared what they thought were the biggest challenges in the market. A key aspect of Skylo’s business model is working within the existing ecosystem to create a predictable user experience. Of course, creating innovative satellite technology and maintaining regulatory compliance is foundational, but the most important aspect of our work is making satellite service as frictionless and seamless as possible, which means coordinating and partnering with MNOs and MVNOs.
At CES, we hosted an exclusive media breakfast to highlight our satellite SMS services and share some exciting announcements. Skylo is now the world’s largest commercial standards-based direct-to-device network, unlocking global satellite connectivity potential for more than a billion devices. Our media attendees participated in a hands-on demonstration of our SMS over satellite service.
With carrier networks worldwide focused on densely populated areas, only 15% of the Earth’s global surface area had reliable coverage. Traditional satellite networks are also expensive and don’t operate with carrier networks. This restricts economic, recreational, and educational opportunities for people in rural and underserved areas. Our founders saw this problem and wanted to make satellite connectivity available to more people so that they could always have coverage when they needed it. It is clear from our survey results that enhanced connectivity matters to consumers on a deep and emotional level and that they want connectivity in their daily lives.
Skylo is a seamless user experience built from the ground up. Our connectivity begins at the chipset level. With Skylo, the devices know how to find a satellite signal when they lose terrestrial cellular connectivity and the users have an uninterrupted experience. This experience continues at the OS level with an integrated experience so consumers know when they are communicating via satellite and can do so in a repeatable and predictable manner.
Ensuring this consistent coverage experience takes more than just satellites. This is why Skylo works at all levels: chipsets to OS integration to satellites. No one else has built an integrated experience from the ground up. We are deeply integrated with major chipset and module makers including, Qualcomm, Samsung, MediaTek, Sony, Quectel, Telit, and Semtech. Skylo also has the industry’s only device certification program so device manufacturers can certify their devices on Skylo’s network, constantly broadening our range of services. We are truly paving the way for the entire industry to embrace enhanced connectivity in their products and services.
%2520(2).png)
Our main priority is providing peace of mind and enhanced connectivity for consumers and enterprises around the world. Our network is live across more than 50M square kilometers worldwide, supported by ten Earth stations in 35 countries across 4 continents. Skylo has handled more than 10 million satellite-based messages worldwide. This way we can ensure users never lose coverage, especially when it matters most. In late September and early October 2024, traffic on our network tripled as consumers used our service to call for help during Hurricanes Helene and Milton as well as during forest fires in Oregon.
As we begin 2025, we are working on enhancing our offering beyond emergency services. Messaging with friends and family, chatting with AI Agents, and voice calls over satellite are the next services to round out the Essential Services for consumers. As we evolve, additional Enhanced Services including web browsing, video calls, and social media are coming in the future. Read more about our presentation and demonstration in this LightReading article by Jeff Baumgartner.
The Skylo team was excited to share all of our latest developments at CES 2025 to kick off this year. And this is just the beginning. We have more exciting updates and service offerings coming throughout this year, including more announcements at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this March. Keep following us to stay up to date on the latest Skylo news. Want to learn more about how Skylo can help your organization? Speak with a Skylo team member today.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
%204%20-%20high%20res.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
%20(1).png)
%20(1600%20x%20800%20px).png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
%20(1).png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png){kind=logo}
.png){kind=logo}
.png){kind=logo}
.png)
.png)
.png)
%20(1).png)