AI-based native approach fuels MNO scalability and monetization efforts
Skylo Technologies, the leader in direct-to-device satellite connectivity with over 8 million activated devices on its non-terrestrial network (NTN), today announced the completion of the first voice calls using NB-NTN. Skylo’s existing regulatory approvals in 36 countries worldwide utilizing Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum will speed the way for the rapid roll out of this service. Skylo’s innovation and breakthrough yield a capacity for tens of millions of calls monthly per region on its existing, commercially available satellite network service.
This breakthrough is powered by the newly developed Skylo Voice Gateway, which utilizes advanced, AI-native voice codecs to ensure a high-quality communication experience by optimally balancing data consumption with call quality. This milestone for the industry represents a greater than 10x improvement in data usage compared to existing cellular calling and paves the way for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to monetize a whole new suite of NTN services as consumers and businesses embrace voice calling over Skylo’s network. The Skylo Voice Gateway translates the physical layer of the satellite link into the standard SIP/RTP protocols used by MNO’s core networks to ensure seamless integration with MNO networks and devices. This allows users to make and receive calls using their smartphone over NTN. Skylo continues to expand its NB-NTN services, unveiling a commercialization approach for 3GPP compatible voice communications. At the June 2025 meeting of the 5G and 6G 3GPP standards-setting body, Skylo with its partners submitted a joint proposal for NTN native voice calling, which was formally approved as a 3GPP work item for Release 20. Skylo is continuing to define the next-generation system architecture for satellite-based voice communications for the entire global telecommunications industry.
Skylo is known globally for providing 3GPP NTN services to MNOs and OEMs globally. In 2023, Skylo first enabled OTT Satellite Messaging with SOS, and quickly expanded to native Satellite SMS Messaging which has been commercially live since March 2025. Skylo is currently routing Satellite SOS messages from consumers needing help in emergencies with a corresponding real-world impact in their lives directly from their smartphone.
Skylo is deeply embedded across the entire mobile ecosystem with a standards-based approach that allows device manufacturers to easily adopt innovative new satellite features for market share and new revenue streams. Skylo is expanding our partnerships with chipset suppliers to enable a native calling experience and to further the commercialization of voice calls over NB-NTN. A premier example is our ongoing collaboration with Samsung Electronics’ System LSI Business to explore the feasibility of Voice over NTN networks using Samsung’s Exynos chipsets. Skylo is also working with Fraunhofer IIS as a provider of the best-in-class AI-powered low bit rate NESC speech codec.
“This milestone is a major breakthrough enabling MNOs to deliver an expansive set of revenue generating services that their subscribers need and will love. NTN Voice Calling is something no other network can deliver at global commercial scale,” said Tarun Gupta, Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Skylo. “The convergence of 3GPP standards-based protocols, AI-powered codecs, deep chipset-level integration, and our commercially available network will unlock a new era of mobile connectivity. We are excited to put the ‘phone’ back in ‘smartphone’ wherever you go.”
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