Starlink extends its satellite communications to your pocket. In addition to providing an internet connection anywhere in the world, Starlink will also offer mobile connectivity next year through a brand new service called Starlink Direct to Cell.
The company will start small, as LTE phones won’t have the ability to send text messages until sometime in 2024. After that, the service will be expanded to send voice calls and data, plus support for IoT devices such as smartwatches in 2025. says Starlink customers don’t need another phone, a firmware update or a special app. The service works on current devices, even in the most remote locations on Earth – provided “you can see the sky”. Nothing should get in the way of the satellite’s signal.
Speaking of which, Starlink says it will deploy “satellites with the Direct to Cell capability at scale” on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets. It appears that Direct to Cell will mainly be aimed at companies that want remote mobile connectivity. At the time of writing, the service is not present on the company’s website for personal use.
Made in collaboration
If this sounds familiar, that’s because billionaire Elon Musk, the CEO of parent company SpaceX, and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert announced plans for Direct to Cell last year, though it hadn’t yet been named. Sivert explained that the connection will be available in “the lower 48 (of the United States), … large portions of Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and territorial waters.” Areas covered include national parks and certain terrains where it is difficult to receive a cell phone signal, such as in the desert.
Since that conversation, SpaceX has forged new partnerships with other telecommunications companies from around the world Rogers Communications also in Canada Optus in Australia.
Potential beta
What’s interesting is T-Mobile’s press release from August 2022, which mentions that there will be a beta program in select areas by the end of 2023. “SMS, MMS and participating messaging apps” would be part of the program. However, Starlink’s website says nothing about a beta, leading us to believe the idea may have been scrapped. Maybe it just wasn’t ready yet.
Normally we would ask Starlink or SpaceX for more information, but they have no way for members of the press to contact them. Instead, we contacted T-Mobile for more information; specifically about the beta and if it’s still happening. This story will be updated at a later date.
It is not known exactly when everything will go live in 2024. SpaceX has pushed the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to hasten processing their satellite applications. But said committee chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcelthe FCC has over 56,000 satellite applications pending on their desk, so it will probably take a while.
If you want to know what the future holds, check out TechRadar’s coverage of how satellite connectivity could become a key feature for smartphones.
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