SkyTerra's Mobile Satellite Ventures, ICO Global Communications and Qualcomm have jointly announced today a partnership that could have far-reaching implications in the mobile realm. In short, the trio has agreed to "integrate satellite and cellular communication technology in select multi-mode mobile baseband chips," which will essentially enable handsets to have "ubiquitous mobile communications coverage from anywhere in North America, including areas where traditional cellular service is currently unavailable or unreliable." The release proclaims that this hookup will lead to satellite connectivity being in mass-market devices, but only time will tell how long it takes for compatible handsets to get adopted by carriers. Unfortunately, we do know it won't happen prior to 2010, as that's the planned ship date for the newfangled chips. Thanks for the heads-up, guys -- but oh, how the tease hurts us.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Update: Images provided are of Mobile Satellite Ventures' design concepts.

That crazy hybrid satellite / terrestrial mobile phone network being erected by start-up TerreStar just got a nice boost by signing a reciprocal roaming agreement with a rather sizable partner: a scrappy little carrier going by the name AT&T. Recent releases on TerreStar's site indicate that its first satellite won't be ready to launch until April of next year -- a bit of a delay from the end of 2008 estimate they'd been suggesting before -- but at least they'll be riding on the coattails of a nice, fat footprint on the ground when the time comes to flip the switch.

The European Union has a habit of liking to get all of its children on the same page when it comes to mobile technology -- think GSM, for example -- so it comes as no big surprise that a new EU proposal looks to put mobile satellite services under its own control and not that of member countries. For service providers, this likely comes as a relief since it means they won't need to visit licensing commissions of 27 individual nations, though that also means it'll be a far more expensive proposition to get licensed. The EU, which hopes to push the proposal through its parliament and members' telecom bosses next year, would then choose one or more providers by 2009 -- just in time for the scheduled launch of a satellite bearing DVB-SH broadcasting capability, coincidentally. Backed by Alcatel Lucent, DVB-SH uses satellites as its primary means of reception with terrestrial repeaters augmenting the signal, making it a great way to blanket all of Europe in glorious mobile TV without the need to roll out DVB-H transmitters everywhere. With a strong backing of DVB-H in its rear-view mirror, it seems like a virtual lock that the SH variant is exactly what the EU has in mind here.

[Via mocoNews]

When you're already tracking every kid out there to make sure no one gets into too much mischief, you definitely need a way to make a call whilst in "mountainous areas or at sea," right? Apparently the Japanese government thinks so, as it's planning on bringing satellite calling to the masses by launching a bird that's 50-meters in diameter in order to enable "ordinary handsets" (you know, the ones without the mile-long antennas) to make satellite calls in times of emergency with just slight modifications. The aforementioned sat would be over twice the size of the 19-meter Kiku No. 8, which currently holds the crown for the largest launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, meaning that the newfangled equipment would fit nicely within the confines of today's increasingly shrinking cellphone and still find signal. Interestingly, the ministry isn't looking to get the service going before 2015, so we just might be looking at mainstream antenna-less iterations by that time anyway.

[Via DigitalWorldTokyo, photo courtesy of SatellitePhones]

We love ourselves a good back-and-forth battle between two competitors, and it looks like Thuraya is diving in the ring head first (and finally bringing the goods) to take on the highly-praised Globalstar. While the GSP-1700 sports a relatively slim, sexy design and weighs just 7.1 ounces, it has already become second place thanks to a pair of new satellite phones by Thuraya. The firm's SO-2510 (purely SAT) comes in at just 4.59 ounces, and sports a 4.66- x 2.09- x 0.74-inch enclosure, but still manages to include a 1.5-inch LCD, GPS / satellite services, USB connectivity, and a battery providing 2.4 hours of talk time (plus 40 hours in standby). The slightly larger (albeit GSM-equipped) SG-2520 rocks Tri-band capabilities, a 1.9-inch LCD, 1.3-megapixel camera, 128MB of internal memory, an SD slot, and still manages to hit the scales at just 6 ounces. Both phones are listed as "coming soon," but we're a bit more inclined to believe it this time around with all the buzz hovering over its main competitor.

[Read - Thuraya SO-2510, via MobileWhack]
[Read - Thuraya SG-2520, via MinistryOfTech]

Sure, a satellite-only handset can cover you virtually regardless of where you happen to be on the globe. But what's the fun in paying those multi-dollar per minute airtime charges for those times when beaming your voice to space and back might be a little, shall we say, overkill? Asia Pacific Satellite Industry feels our pain, prepping their SG-2520 phone with GSM for everyday use plus satellite calling for those days when you find yourself inexplicably trapped on the summit of K2. Hybrid satellite/GSM handsets are nothing new, but what sets the SG-2520 apart is that it's doing its best to front like your average trendy, feature-rich candybar: besides voice calling, your hard-earned cash is going to get you a color display, GPS, Bluetooth, a music player, 1.3-megapixel camera, all crammed into a relatively svelte 19mm of thickness. Hip or not, folks are going to know exactly what you're up to when that monster of a sat antenna is at full mast.

[Via Mobile Magazine]

Well, with the recent hurricane seasons we've been having, it might not be exactly paranoid to throw together some survival gear and emergency communication equipment, but we can't help but thinking this new "Personal Hurricane Kit" from Assemble Communications is a bit of a cash-in on the hysteria. Luckily, it is a full featured cash-in. Released last month, the $5,000 device comes in a watertight suitcase which holds the battery-powered Inmarsat satellite antenna and handset. But along with making your calls, the kit allows you to connect your computer for broadband satellite Internet, making this the obvious choice for mobile professionals stuck in a bit of bad weather. The price for the 6-pound kit includes 400 minutes of talk time and 150 megabytes of Internet access, so we recommend staying away from streaming those "Lost" episodes -- as ironic as it may seem at the time.

[Via SOSD]