Apple is rumored to be working on a brand-new device that
will support communication through orbiting satellites, according to reports by
Bloomberg.
If true, the new device will be the only
satellite-enabled smartphone in the market, according to the company’s
statement in the report. Apple is getting ready to release a new version of the
iPhone this year, according to the report. The company could be working on a
satellite-enabled version of the iPhone, which will make sure that it can connect
to the Internet around satellites to increase its connectivity.
The functions of the iPhone would be changed to work the
same way the satellites work. The iPhone would not come with a separate modem
chip. Instead, it would be connected to the modem.
The China-based start-up, Skybeats is also working on a
satellite communication system that will also allow connections between
satellites and PCs. Currently, the cable modem can connect to the Internet
through the terrestrial network but not through the satellite. The satellite
version would allow it. It is said to be based on the Internet protocol.
The satellite system would also use commercial
communications satellites launched by other companies and in different orbits.
The company is preparing to test this during the summer. How it works? The
system will use two satellites — one equipped with a three-way antenna to
connect German cities with an Ecuadorian tower, which will be in turn connected
by an agreement with a US company, which will provide US bandwidth. This
connects the Berlin operator to the US. Naturally, the satellite was positioned
to avoid interference with transmission by the GDR government.
