SpaceX has been preparing a new direct cellular service for cell phones with Starlink satellites for some time. Satellite emergency messaging has become more common in recent years, but Starlink’s Direct to Cell service will allow you to make video calls even using a regular smartphone.
Video call via Starlink. In a demo posted Tuesday on X, two SpaceX engineers use a Google Pixel and an unmodified iPhone to video call each other.
The Pixel is connected to a terrestrial cellular antenna, and the iPhone is connected to the Starlink Direct to Cell satellite. No satellite dishes, no additional equipment. Although the image of a person using a satellite connection appears pixelated, the video call does not interrupt during the short video duration.
How it works. SpaceX has launched several Starlink satellites with direct cellular communications. The last 13 departed on May 14 from California. They’re not as fast as Starlink’s home services due to the physical limitations of the antenna beam, but they reach a respectable 17 Mbps.
In the US, Starlink has reached an agreement with T-Mobile to conduct trials before rolling out the service. SpaceX engineers conduct these tests on the PCS G frequency block, which is equivalent to band 25 of the LTE spectrum, so virtually any modern smartphone can connect directly to the Starlink Direct to Cell satellite, even indoors.
When will it be available. Rather than offering it directly to its customers, Starlink is making agreements with carriers around the world to roll out Starlink Direct to Cell as an add-on service. T-Mobile, Rogers, Salt or Entel will offer their customers the ability to connect to Starlink satellites in areas without coverage.
The rollout will be gradual. At the end of 2024, customers of these operators will be able to send SMS, MMS and emergency calls in areas without coverage. According to SpaceX, starting in 2025, they will be able to use their mobile data.
The goose that lays the golden eggs. Yesterday, Starlink announced that it has surpassed three million customers in the 99 countries where it is available. The company, which already operates more than 6,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, has gone from red numbers to billions of dollars in profits. There was only one company capable of achieving this: the only one that regularly launches and lands its rockets.
Image | SpaceX
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