CES 2023 has shown us that a lot of new technology is possible – anything under the sun, as they say. With that said, Bullitt Group – a well-known British telecom brand – revealed its two-way satellite messaging service, aptly named “Bullitt Satellite Connect” during CES.
Bullitt has also revealed that it is working with Motorola (via a strategic brand partnership) in developing a smartphone which will support the messaging service. The phone will be launched under Motorola’s Defy series, known for rugged designs and hardware tailored for users looking for handsets that can keep up with active lifestyles, and users who need smartphone functionality in the great outdoors.
A demo of the service was also given to tech media and creators at CES, which showed off some of the features of the upcoming communication service. According to Richard Wharton, Co-Founder at Bullitt Group:
“Bullitt Satellite Connect solves a real connectivity problem. American’s send 6 billion SMS text messages each day but due to the sheer scale and topography of the country, no single carrier covers more than 70% of the US land mass and around 60 million Americans lose coverage for up to 25% of each day.
That means hundreds of millions of instances where people who want to communicate via their phone cannot. Coverage blackspots persist to a greater and lesser extent the world over. We have a truly international solution. Bullitt Satellite Messenger provides total reassurance that you will have a connection wherever you have a clear view of the sky.
Motorola, an iconic brand in the communications industry, has always been at the forefront of identifying new technologies that become an industry standard. We are excited to announce that the next device within the motorola defy family will be the first device to include Bullitt’s two-way satellite messaging technology and offer Motorola’s customers the most advanced and reliable connectivity of any smartphone in the world.”
Bullitt says that the service is the result of two years of development alongside advanced technology partners non-terrestrial network (NTN) communications, including big names such as MediaTek (which provides 3GPP functionality via its chipset), FocusPoint International, and Skylo, Bullitt’s satellite connectivity partner (Skylo also developed and operates the network Bullitt uses).
Motorola has likewise expressed its enthusiasm at this opportunity to push mobile communication technology even further. As per a statement from Dave Carroll, Vice President of Strategic Brand Partnerships at Motorola:
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Bullitt to bring to the market the first rugged smartphone equipped with two-way satellite messaging technology. Motorola has been a pioneer in the mobile industry with a rich heritage of industry firsts and we are proud to be, once again, at the forefront of industry innovations alongside Bullitt”.
The service works by combining Bullitt smartphone hardware and the bespoke OTT app, which allows users to send messages to any smartphone, whenever they have a clear view of the sky. The service will first try to connect via Wi-Fi or cellular data, and will resort to satellite connectivity if the first two are unable. Anyone can receive a message as a simple SMS to their existing phone and can respond by downloading the associated Android or iOS app.
As for pricing, the cost of the messages will be deducted from the satellite messaging plans with no cost to the recipient. SOS Assistance will be free within the first year, with subscription plans starting from $4.99 per month, although more extensive plans are also available.
