The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that it has signed an agreement with Chinese smartphone maker Oppo to strengthen the research and development of the NavIC messaging service.
As a part of the agreement, ISRO and Oppo India will exchange technical information of NavIC messaging services to build rapid, ready-to-use, end-to-end application-specific solutions by integrating NavIC messaging service with the mobile handset platform for the Indian users.
For those who are unaware, the NavIC system provides detailed regional navigation services covering the Indian mainland and an area up to 1,500 km beyond the Indian mainland. In addition to its primary function of providing PNT (position, navigation, and timing) services, NavIC is also capable of broadcasting short messages. The messaging service is mainly used for broadcasting safety-of-life alerts in areas with poor or no communication, particularly in the oceans.
In a statement, Oppo India said: “The memorandum will pave the way for future collaborations between ISRO and Oppo India to develop indigenous solutions by incorporating the NavIC short messaging feature in the smartphones released by OPPO India.”
Oppo, which currently ranks among the top five global smartphone brands, has four Research & Development centers worldwide. In India, the company has set up an R&D center in Hyderabad for the development of 5G technology and the company also has a local manufacturing plant in Noida.
