Samsung is reportedly joining hands with Elon Musk’s Starlink to create a new kind of modem that uses artificial intelligence to connect directly to satellites. This project could be a major leap in how devices like smartphones, laptops, and routers get internet access, especially in places where regular mobile signals or Wi-Fi are weak or unavailable.
According to reports from the Korean Economic Daily, Samsung’s engineers are developing what they call an “AI-enhanced modem.” Instead of relying on nearby cell towers, this new modem would talk directly to Starlink satellites orbiting Earth. The goal is to make satellite internet faster, more reliable, and smart enough to handle movement and environmental changes on its own.
At the center of this technology is something called a neural processing unit, or NPU for short. This chip uses AI to predict where satellites will move in the sky and adjust the signal connection in real time. Normally, modems struggle to keep up with the constant movement of low Earth orbit satellites, which travel at thousands of miles per hour. These fast shifts cause weak connections or brief dropouts, especially when you move between different coverage zones. Samsung’s AI system is designed to fix that problem.
Early tests shown in Samsung’s internal presentations suggest impressive results. The company claims that the new Exynos modem can identify satellite signal beams 55 times more accurately and predict channel changes 42 times better than older modems. That could mean smoother handoffs between satellites and more stable internet speeds, even while traveling or in isolated regions.
For everyday users, this might translate into a big deal. Imagine your phone or laptop staying connected to the internet in a mountain village, a desert, or even while sailing offshore. For small businesses or homes in rural areas, it could provide steady broadband without the need for a wired connection or a 5G tower nearby.
For companies, especially those that work in mining, shipping, logistics, or remote construction, this could completely change their connectivity options. Instead of setting up complex and expensive ground equipment, they could use modems or routers that link directly to the Starlink satellite network. This would simplify setup, lower costs, and allow high-speed connections in areas where fiber lines are impossible to install.
Starlink, for its part, has been investing heavily in the future of satellite networks. The company recently secured around 17 billion dollars worth of spectrum to support its plans for 6G non-terrestrial networks, often referred to as NTN. These systems are designed to blend satellite communication with traditional networks to create global, uninterrupted coverage. By combining Samsung’s chip-making expertise with Starlink’s massive satellite constellation, the two companies are trying to make that idea a reality.
Still, there are challenges ahead. AI-powered modems require significant computing power to handle constant signal analysis and prediction. That level of processing draws more energy, which means devices could face battery drain or overheating issues if not managed carefully. There’s also the question of cost. Building and mass-producing such powerful modems could make them expensive in the beginning, limiting their early adoption to high-end devices or enterprise use.
Experts say that while the technology sounds promising, real-world tests will be the true test of its success. Satellite-to-device communication has always been tricky because of factors like signal delay, weather interference, and hardware limits. If Samsung’s AI modem can overcome those barriers, it could become a defining part of the next phase of mobile connectivity.
In the long term, this could pave the way for what many are calling the 6G era. In this future, communication networks won’t rely only on land-based towers or fiber cables. Instead, a mix of satellites, drones, and ground stations could work together to provide internet access anywhere on the planet.
For now, both Samsung and Starlink are staying quiet about release timelines or commercial availability. But if development continues smoothly, we could see this technology appear first in premium devices or specialized routers before it filters down to consumer smartphones.
