Qualcomm and Iridium to Terminate Cooperation in Satellite Emergency Call Solutions
In a surprising turn of events, Qualcomm and satellite communications company Iridium have announced that they will be terminating their partnership in providing satellite emergency call solutions. The collaboration, which was initially announced during CES 2023, aimed to bring the Snapdragon Satellite solution to the market in conjunction with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X70 networking communications chip.
According to a statement from Iridium, the partnership with Qualcomm is set to end on December 3. This development means that Iridium will have the opportunity to work with other chip, operating system, or equipment manufacturers to expand its satellite communication services to more application areas.
Explaining the decision, Iridium stated that while their cooperation with Qualcomm had successfully showcased the integration of mobile phones with satellite Internet services, it ultimately failed to attract mobile phone manufacturers to adopt the technology in commercial products. This is understood to be the main reason behind Qualcomm’s decision to terminate the partnership.
Despite the end of their cooperation with Qualcomm, Iridium remains optimistic about the future of mobile phones combined with satellite Internet services. The company emphasized that it will not be deterred by the partnership’s conclusion and believes that it can take advantage of its own satellite network services to become a key player in market development. Iridium also boasted that it can provide sufficient satellite signal connection services for the global market.
The termination of the partnership comes at a time when several industry players, including Apple, Samsung, and MediaTek, are investing in the development of satellite networking service applications. Additionally, Qualcomm is known to be actively deploying satellite networking application services and preparing for the subsequent development of 6G mobile networks.
As the landscape for satellite communication services continues to evolve, the end of the partnership between Qualcomm and Iridium opens up new opportunities for both companies to explore partnerships with other industry players and potentially bring innovative solutions to market.