OQ Delivers Europe’s First Direct-to-Mobile Emergency Broadcast from Space
OQ Technology has achieved a European first, successfully sending an emergency broadcast message directly from a LEO satellite to standard, unmodified smartphones. The live demo in Luxembourg saw both iPhone and Android devices receive the alert without special apps, upgrades, or hardware marking a breakthrough for resilient public-safety communications.
Backed by 60 MHz of priority MSS S-band spectrum, additional upper C-band resources, and IMT band partnerships, the company is building a secure, standards-based satellite layer that remains operational when terrestrial networks fail due to outages, congestion, disasters, or cyberattacks.
OQ’s system is built around 3GPP-compliant NTN technology, ensuring native interoperability with existing smartphones and mobile networks. The company has played an active role in shaping Releases 17 and 18, aligning Europe’s emerging D2D capability with global standards.
Supported by ESA, the Luxembourg Space Agency, the EU’s Cassini Accelerator, and other European institutions, OQ plans to follow up with demos of direct-to-mobile voice and messaging in 2026 as it expands its operational LEO infrastructure.