(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) World First Satellite enabled smart phone

(JUNE-2024)

A satellite phone, sometimes called as Satphone is a phone that connects to a telephone network through satellites that orbit the Earth. This is unlike our modern-day smart phones, which connect to ground-based cell towers.

First satellite series in the world (Tiantong-1)-Able to make phone calls on smart phones without requiring traditional infrastructure like Base Transceiver Stations(BTSs) or cell towers.
The satellites of theTiantong-1 series-Comprise of three satellites.
Positioned in a geosynchronous orbit at an approximate altitude of 36000 kilometres.
Spans across the whole Asia-Pacific area from the Middle East to the Pacific Ocean.
The satellite is called ‘Tiantong,’ with a translation of “reaching to the sky”.
Huawei Technologies introduced the first-ever smart phone in September 2023 that enabled users to make satellite calls by connecting directly to the Tiantong satellites.
The project is inspired by the tale of the Tower of Babel from the Bible, with the goal of connecting people instead of dividing them.