The telecommunications giant Telekom, the parent company of Greece’s COSMOTE, has achieved a significant technological milestone by conducting Europe’s first test of sending and receiving SMS via a geostationary satellite (GEO Satellite) using a smartphone. Specifically, an off-the-shelf Google Pixel 9 was used without any modifications to its software or hardware. The message was sent using a COSMOTE SIM card, reinforcing the network’s role in the development of satellite communications.
The test was carried out in collaboration with Google and builds upon Telekom’s initiative from last year, when it tested SMS transmission via satellite but with an experimental device rather than a conventional mobile phone. This year’s success paves the way for a broader commercial rollout of satellite mobile services, enabling the sending and receiving of messages in areas where terrestrial communication networks are unavailable—whether in remote locations or emergency situations, such as natural disasters.