Verizon, Avon CT. Photo: Flickr/Mike Mozart.

Verizon is the latest big name telco to accelerate its reach into the satellite arena. It has teamed up with Skylo to launch a commercial direct-to-device messaging service for Verizon customers so they can stay connected wherever they are. The two companies announced the partnership, Aug. 28.

Starting this fall, customers on certain smartphones have access to emergency messaging and location sharing even when a terrestrial cellular network is not available. Verizon said that next year it will offer the ability to text anywhere via satellite for customers with select devices.

This is Verizon’s second deal in the satellite direct-to-device space after becoming a strategic partner of AST SpaceMobile in May in a $100 million deal.

Skylo utilizes dedicated, licensed mobile satellite spectrum for connectivity to provide coverage for customers in rural or rugged areas when low population density, technical challenges, and economic viability make building a cellular network infeasible.

Verizon is one of the first mobile carriers worldwide to commercially launch supplemental smartphone connectivity on Skylo’s non-terrestrial satellite network.

“Verizon has been driving innovation in the use of supplemental satellite capabilities for years using satellite connections for cell tower rapid deployments, emergency response and temporary solutions. We are encouraged by the progress being made in satellite to device communications for consumers and are equally excited to be driving technical innovation trials in the space of satellite IoT solutions,” Srini Kalapala, Senior Vice President of Technology and Product Development, Verizon, said in a statement.

This is the latest win for Skylo, which recently announced a deal with Google to provide the satellite connectivity for emergency messaging on the Google Pixel 9. Skylo does not operate its own satellites — the company is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) service provider that works with multiple satellite operators with licensed spectrum.

“Our work with Verizon strengthens our belief in network convergence between satellite and cellular, and now this vision is a reality today for both consumers and enterprises. We are excited to partner with the carrier known globally for its powerful performance and reliable service as we bring a new level of connectivity from space,” said Parthsarathi Trivedi, CEO & co-founder of Skylo.“