Verizon customers may soon be able to make and receive calls over satellite as the carrier's partner Skylo is teasing the functionality.
The satellite connectivity company says it conducted the first wireless call over a narrowband satellite network on August 27.
Skylo has completed the first call over satellite.
Skylo's tech utilizes global protocols, AI, hardware integration, and its satellite network to enable voice calling over a Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN).
Skylo already offers direct-to-device satellite connectivity to over 8 million devices, but only texting is currently supported. The company's newly developed Skylo Voice Gateway will allow it to provide high-quality call service. The new Voice Gateway system will make it easier for telecom partners to understand satellite signals and make satellite calls work like regular voice calls.
Skylo rolled out satellite SOS messaging in 2023, and earlier this year, it started supporting SMS texting as well. The company is expanding its partnerships with chipset suppliers, including Samsung's chipset wing. This will allow handsets with Exynos chips to make satellite calls.
Skylo is already cleared to provide satellite service in 36 countries, and this should help it with a rapid rollout of the satellite calling feature.
Verizon is one of the company's key carrier partners, though it didn't say anything about bringing voice connectivity to its customers in the press release. That said, Verizon and Skylo also teamed up to enable satellite connectivity on the Galaxy S25, and their partnership is ongoing, so it's only a matter of time before an announcement is made. We have reached out to Skylo for confirmation and will update the article if we hear back.
Can satellite calling give Verizon an edge over T-Mobile?
T-Mobile will probably beat Verizon to it.
33.33%
Not for the average customer.
16.67%
Yup, Verizon has an opportunity to outdo T-Mobile.
16.67%
Don't know, but at least I'll stay connected in an outage.
33.33%
Based on existing partnerships, though, it's likely that Google and Samsung handsets on Verizon's network will be among the first to get the satellite calling feature. Only devices that support NB-NTN, such as the Pixel 9, Pixel 10, and Galaxy S25, will be eligible.
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The voice feature will only be available on the latest premium devices, like the Google Pixel and the Samsung Galaxy, as they have NB-NTN compatible chipsets.
–Joe Gardiner, CCS Insight analyst, August 2025
Skylo told The Register that it expects a rollout next year.
Verizon and AT&T currently trail T-Mobile when it comes to satellite messaging, and the latter has capitalized on that by allowing customers of other carriers to access the T-Satellite service for a monthly fee. Verizon has an opportunity here to accelerate the rollout of voice calling by working with its partner Skylo and to surpass T-Mobile in bringing the functionality to its users.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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