Last January, Chipmaker Qualcomm struck a partnership with Aridium Communications to provide satellite to phone services.

The plan offer a satellite SOS feature for Android phones that would rival the one provided by Apple with Globalstar

on the latest iPhone models.

It's something I discussed just recently with Iridium CEO Matt Desh on this very podcast.

We're not really involved in that.

That's really all common there.

They're OEM.

So still, you know, the technology works very well and tested it's ready to go and

someday I expect will will be deployed except it won't at least not as this

specific technology within the specific partnership.

On Thursday, Qualcomm scrapped its Snap Dragon Satellite plan, saying in a statement,

smartphone makers have, quote, indicated a preference towards standards-based solutions for

satellite to phone connectivity. In an exclusive interview today

Iridium's Dash rejoined me to share his insights and reiterate that this won't change financial guidance for the company.

Smartphone providers, well at least Android ones, didn't want to really pay much extra for a satellite access and didn't want to be locked into a single chip provider or a single satellite provider for that matter.

But you know that's understandable but it really

means that the market for saving lives and providing access to remote you know off

the grid is really being left open kind of to Apple

primarily today. On this episode we discuss next steps for Iridium and why the

nascent market for satellite-connected

smartphones is still so promising. I'm working Brennan and this is

manifest space. base.

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