Partnering with Indian government-owned telco BSNL, Viasat engineers showcased satellite-powered two-way messaging services for attendees at the India Mobile Congress technology fair.

In the trial, Viasat demonstrated two-way messaging and SoS messaging using a commercial Android smartphone enabled for non-terrestrial network (NTN) connectivity.

The messages were sent 36,000km to one of Viasat’s geostationary L-band satellites.

Viasat claims the trial proves satellite services to cell phone connectivity is technically feasible for Indian consumers and businesses using Viasat’s satellite network.

The new technology, which allows everyday devices – like mobile phones, smart watches, or cars – industrial machinery, and transport operators to connect seamlessly to both terrestrial and satellite networks, follows new global mobile 3GPP release 17 standards.

Sandeep Moorthy, Chief Technical Officer, Viasat, said direct-to-device (D2D) could help reduce barriers to accessing satellite connectivity – particularly in India where millions do not have access to reliable terrestrial connectivity.

"In the future, D2D could help transform the Indian production and supply chain to become more efficient, more sustainable and safer, and support automotive applications to enhance safety and conditions-based maintenance," Moorthy said.

"Together with partners like BSNL, Viasat is driving a standards-based, open, transparent, collaborative D2D ecosystem to deliver seamless connectivity experiences no matter where a person, device, or vehicle is.”