Currently, to communicate via Starlink satellites, you need a special antenna to install on homes, boats, planes, etc. But SpaceX is preparing a new service called Direct to Cell which will allow you to connect to Starlink satellites, directly on your smartphone, and continue to have a mobile network in white areas.
10 Mb per beam
And currently, this new service is very close to a launch. As we mentioned in a previous article, SpaceX has already obtained the green light from the American authorities. And this week, the company announces that it has completed its first-ever Direct to Cell satellite constellation. “This will allow unmodified cell phones to be connected to the internet in remote areas,” indicates Musk, in a publication on X. He also indicates that, for the moment, the bandwidth “is only 10 Mb” per beam. However, the next constellations will be more efficient.
As a reminder, SpaceX’s roadmap provides for the deployment of a service that will allow text messages to be exchanged in 2024, then support for calls and mobile data from 2025. But for this service, Starlink will have to pass by the operators. SpaceX works with T-Mobile for the United States, Optus for Australia, Rogers for Canada, One NZ for New Zealand, KDDI for Japan, SALT for Switzerland, as well as Entel for Chile and Peru.
4G from space
To offer this mobile service, Starlink had to deploy new satellites capable of communicating directly with smartphones. “We carry an advanced LTE modem on board each satellite that functions like a cell tower in space”Starlink explained in a previous press release.
And the advantage of this system, compared to other satellite communication services, is that it is, in theory, compatible with all 4G compatible devices. This is a huge advantage over Apple’s satellite communications service, which, in turn, requires special equipment only found on iPhone 14 and newer models.
- Starlink is preparing the launch of a new service that will allow communication via satellites directly on smartphones
- Elon Musk just announced that the first Direct to Cell constellation is now complete
- Bandwidth is still low, but this will improve as Starlink adds new constellations
- Direct to Cell satellites work like cell towers in space and can communicate with 4G devices
