What you need to know
- Orange, a Eurpoean carrier, announced that it’s partnering with Skylo to bring “Satellite Message” to the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 on December 11.
- The company states Skylo’s NTN technology will facilitate the texting feature for these Pixel phones in December before it looks to more devices and services.
- Google leverages Skylo’s tech for its Pixel Satellite SOS feature, as well as the Pixel Watch.
A carrier in Europe is bringing satellite texting capabilities to its consumers in the region for two of Google’s most recent Pixel phones.
Announced this week, Orange, a European carrier, revealed that consumers with the Google Pixel 9 or Pixel 10 will soon receive satellite texting support on its network (via 9to5Google). Orange dubs the coming feature “Satellite Message” officially, and states that it will be available for the previously mentioned phones by December 11. For right now, this is for Orange’s users based in “mainland France,” which brings the ability to “send and receive SMS messages, as well as their location.”
The CEO of Orange France, Jérôme Hénique, states, “‘Satellite Message’ addresses a critical connectivity need and represents a simple and useful innovation that strengthens service continuity for customers.”
With that in mind, the company states it now leverages its Skylo, a new partnership between it and the NTN (non-terrestrial network) operator. Not only must consumers possess a Pixel 9 or Pixel 10 phone, but they must also hold Orange’s 5G or 5G Plus subscription. The carrier states this satellite SMS service will reach these Pixel models as a “temporary exclusive” before it rolls it out to more “services and compatible devices.”
While Pixel owners await their date in December, Orange says it will bring its satellite SMS service to “business and enterprise customers” sometime in 2026.
Skylo to the stars
If Skylo sounds familiar, outside of its NTN involvement, it’s because Google partnered with the company for its Pixel Satellite SOS feature. During its Made by Google event in 2024, Google announced that the Pixel 9 series and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold would leverage Skylo, but only in the continental U.S., excluding Hawaii and Alaska. Skylo’s technology makes it possible for Pixel users to remain connected to the world even in remote areas without a cell signal or Wi-Fi connection.
The other side of Google’s Satellite SOS is its emergency service, which Garmin Response takes over. Satellite SOS is available on the Pixel Watch, too, piggybacking off Skylo there, as well.
Verizon followed in Google’s footsteps a few days later last year, partnering with Skylo for its own satellite-based texting service (just like Orange). The similarities continue, as Verizon brought its service to “certain smartphones” ahead of larger availability.
