Can you imagine being able to send text messages from anywhere in the world, even in the middle of the desert or on the high seas? That’s just what Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite network, which plans to launch its mobile satellite service, called Direct-to-Cell, in 2024.
But don’t get too excited, because at first you will only be able to send SMS, no calls, data or IoT. For that you will have to wait until at least 2025.
Starlink has partnered with wireless carrier T-Mobile for this project, which was first announced in August last year. The idea is that T-Mobile will give up some of its 5G network for Starlink’s second-generation satellites to use, and Starlink will allow T-Mobile’s phones to connect to the satellite network, giving near-complete coverage of the United States.
According to Musk, this would eliminate mobile “dead zones” around the world. But for this to be possible, Starlink has to launch a new series of microsatellites with the eNodeB modem installed, as the current 4,265 satellites (which is soon to be said) are not compatible with the new mobile service. And that, of course, takes time and money.
For this reason, Starlink is going to start with the simplest of things: SMS. That way it will be able to compete with Apple, which has a satellite SOS feature in iOS 14, and Qualcomm, which offers the ability to send messages to Android phones using the Iridium satellite network.
Mobile satellite service is an emerging and highly competitive market. Lynk Global CEO Charles Miller said at an event in March that it could be the largest category in the satellite sector. And Matt Desch, the CEO of Iridium, believes that mobile service is just the beginning, and that satellites should connect everything and everywhere, including computers, vehicles and other devices.
So now you know, if you want to be always connected to the Internet, wherever you are, you might want to take a look at Starlink and its Direct-to-Cell. But be patient, because there is still a long way to go before you can talk on the phone or connect to the Internet with this service.
