The relationship between satellite operators and cellular wireless carriers has always been complicated, vacillating between being close business partners, fierce competitors, and regulatory rivals. Though dwarfed in size by its cellular wireless peers, satellite operators have endured and maintained a relatively stable co-existence in the telecommunications family. 

However, something has changed recently that has put satellites in the spotlight, driving companies like T-Mobile and Apple to sign contracts and partnerships to utilize satellite services and integrate them with their own. There seems to be a renewed curiosity about space connectivity happening in the wireless world. To figure out the cause of this development and to discuss the impact of satellites breaching the iPhone, we’ve invited NSR Research Director Brad Grady on the podcast to share his wisdom on what’s happening in the market.

Brad explains the history of the fascinating relationship between the satellite and cellular industries, and explains how and why their interests are aligning now more than ever. He also outlines how the development of the 3GPP standard and direct satellite-to-cell connectivity, as well as the rising cost of infrastructure and the desperate need to find new customers drove these long-time “frenemies” to the negotiating table.

This episode of On Orbit is brought to you by a.i. solutions®, a company that has worked to provide innovative, cost-effective space engineering services, products and support to enable uninterrupted and reliable access to space for the past 25 years. Now, a.i. solutions is about to introduce FreeFlyer 7.8, built to optimize your space mission. FreeFlyer 7.8 is packed with new features to improve your mission’s success. Learn more about those features by visiting ai-solutions.com/onorbit.

Listen Here: