SpaceX launches first set of Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities
T-Mobile US today said that SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday with the first set of Starlink satellites that can beam phone signals from space directly to smartphones. The U.S wireless carrier will use Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s Starlink satellites to provide mobile users with network access in parts of the United States, the companies had announced in August 2022. The direct-to-cell service at first will begin with text messaging followed by voice and data capabilities in the coming years, T-Mobile said. Satellite service will not be immediately available to T-Mobile customers; the company said that field testing would begin “soon.”
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SpaceX plans to “rapidly” scale up the project, according to Sara Spangelo, senior director of satellite engineering at SpaceX. “The launch of these first direct-to-cell satellites is an exciting milestone for SpaceX to demonstrate our technology,” she said.
Mike Katz, president of marketing, strategy and products at T-Mobile, said the service was designed to help ensure users remained connected “even in the most remote locations”. He said he hoped dead zones would become “a thing of the past”.
Other wireless providers across the world, including Japan’s KDDI, Australia’s Optus, New Zealand’s One NZ, Canada’s Rogers will collaborate with SpaceX to launch direct-to-cell technology.
References:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/jan/03/spacex-elon-musk-phone-starlink-satellites
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“With over 100 Direct to Cell satellites now launched, and 100s more planned to be launched this year, excited to provide ubiquitous connectivity to our customers starting with @TMobile in the US this year!” Senior Director, Satellite Engineering, co-lead Direct to Cell, at SpaceX Sara Spangelo posted on Twitter on Wednesday.
SpaceX announced a partnership with T-Mobile US almost two years ago, their shared goal being to provide ubiquitous coverage to mobile users in the US and further afield. The pair sent their first text messages in January, using the first few Starlink direct-to-cell satellites that were put into orbit just after the new year and the mobile operator’s spectrum.
At the time, the companies indicated they would launch the service before the end of 2024, but did not provide a more specific timeframe than that. We still don’t have an actual launch date, but Spangelo’s comment above indicates that it could be imminent; the year is more than half over already, after all.
Initially, the direct-to-cell service will be restricted to text messaging, but the firms are working on adding in voice and data, possibly from next year. While T-Mobile has been a little vague on the details, Starlink itself said it would have the capability to offer voice, data and IoT services in 2025.
T-Mobile US is effectively serving as Starlink’s reference partner, and it will be the first to launch services, but the satellite operator has brokered deals with other global telcos too. It has partnership arrangments in place with Rogers in Canada, Optus in Australia, One New Zealand, Japan’s KDDI, Salt in Switzerland, and Entel in Chile and Peru. It has been touting for more business from the operator community, but has made no new partnership announcements lately.
The LEO market – and specifically direct-to-cell services – is hotting up. Globe in the Philippines recently announced it has extended its partnership with Lynk on a direct-to-cell service, or Sat2Phone, to use Lynk’s preferred branding. The companies plan to launch a live customer pilot programme later this year.
On a related, note, Amazon’s Project Kuiper has just got the go ahead to begin testing in France from regulator Arcep, L’Informé reported on Tuesday.