Skylo Brings Voice Calling to Direct-to-Device Satellite Networks
Skylo Technologies has announced the successful completion of the first voice calls over its non-terrestrial network (NTN), powered by its newly developed Skylo Voice Gateway. The breakthrough enables standard smartphones to make and receive calls over satellite, with capacity for tens of millions of monthly calls per region on Skylo’s commercially available network.
At the heart of the innovation is an AI-native voice codec that delivers more than a tenfold improvement in data efficiency compared to conventional cellular calling, ensuring high-quality communications while conserving bandwidth. By translating satellite signals into standard SIP/RTP protocols used by mobile operators, the Skylo Voice Gateway integrates seamlessly with existing MNO networks—paving the way for operators to offer new voice services at scale.
Skylo has already secured regulatory approvals in 36 countries and is driving the standardization of satellite-native voice through 3GPP, with a work item approved for Release 20 earlier this year. The company is also collaborating with partners like Samsung Electronics and Fraunhofer IIS to embed NTN voice capabilities at the chipset and codec levels, further strengthening the ecosystem.