New smartphone direct-to-Starlink satellite service

[Skibane]

Uses customer's existing smartphone and firmware - No hardware or software updates required.

Passes signals directly between the smartphone and Starlink satellites - No terrestrial cell towers required.

Source: SpaceX Updates

SpaceX Invites World's Carriers to Collaborate — No More Cell Phone Dead Zones

SpaceX’s Chief Engineer Elon Musk and T-Mobile’s CEO and President Mike Sievert announced today a breakthrough plan to provide truly universal cellular connectivity.

Despite powerful LTE and 5G terrestrial wireless networks, more than 20% of the United States land area and 90% of the Earth remain uncovered by wireless companies. These dead zones have serious consequences for remote communities and those who travel off the grid for work or leisure. The telecom industry has struggled to cover these areas with traditional cellular technology due to land-use restrictions (e.g. National Parks), terrain limits (e.g. mountains, deserts and other topographical realities) and the globe’s sheer vastness. In those areas, people are either left disconnected or resort to lugging around a satellite phone and paying exorbitant rates.

Leveraging Starlink, SpaceX’s constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, and T-Mobile’s wireless network, the companies are planning to provide customers text coverage practically everywhere in the continental US, Hawaii, parts of Alaska, Puerto Rico and territorial waters, even outside the signal of T-Mobile’s network. The service will be offered starting with a beta in select areas by the end of next year after SpaceX’s planned satellite launches. Text messaging, including SMS, MMS, and participating messaging apps, will empower customers to stay connected and share experiences nearly everywhere. Afterwards, the companies plan to pursue the addition of voice and data coverage.

In addition, Elon and Mike shared their vision for expanding Coverage Above and Beyond globally, issuing an open invitation to the world’s carriers to collaborate for truly global connectivity. T-Mobile committed to offer reciprocal roaming to those providers working with them to enable this vision.

This service will have a tremendous impact on the safety, peace of mind, and individual and business opportunities around the globe. The applications range from connecting hikers in national parks, rural communities, remote sensors and devices, and people and devices in emergency situations, such as firefighters.

This satellite-to-cellular service will provide nearly complete coverage anywhere a customer can see the sky—meaning you can continue texting and eventually make a cell phone call even when you leave terrestrial coverage. We’ve designed our system so that no modifications are required to the cell phone everyone has in their pocket today, and no new firmware, software updates, or apps are needed. As a complementary technology to terrestrial networks, SpaceX can enable mobile network operators to connect more people, fulfill coverage requirements, and create new business opportunities.

If you represent a mobile network operator or regulatory agency and are interested in partnering with SpaceX to bring this new level of mobile connectivity to your region, please reach out to us at direct2cell@spacex.com.

[shastagary]

this shows how it should work starting in November



satellite sos for emergencies

[wa8yxm]

If you’re hoping for a Starlink-style high-speed data connection, think again. Coverage Above and Beyond will allow for between two and four megabits per cell zone, which is about 15 square miles for current Starlink service. That bandwidth would be divided between all users in that area, so the service will launch with support for SMS, MMS, and select messaging apps. The companies are not ruling out offering general data access in the future, but even having text-based communication in an area where there was zero coverage before could be a boon.

I think that's from the article.

Boon.....Imagine you are out in the midlle of "No I can not hear you now landia" with a hot sun. no water, a dead vehicle. and on a road which gets about one car a week.. It's miles of miles to the nearest help.

Oh yes. You dead....

Oh wait.. SMS "I'm on Road about an hour west of Town and HELP!!! car broke down. An hour later.. Help arrives. Water bottle in hand.

[Skibane]

SpaceX is also reportedly in talks with Apple to use Starlink with iPhones.

Apple is currently using Globalstar (a competitor to SpaceX's Starlink) for "Emergency SOS" service on its iPhone 14 models.

[agesilaus]

Your hopes are CRUSHED, heh. Text only:

If you’re hoping for a Starlink-style high-speed data connection, think again. Coverage Above and Beyond will allow for between two and four megabits per cell zone, which is about 15 square miles for current Starlink service. That bandwidth would be divided between all users in that area, so the service will launch with support for SMS, MMS, and select messaging apps. The companies are not ruling out offering general data access in the future, but even having text-based communication in an area where there was zero coverage before could be a boon.

Extremetech

[LouLawrence]

The cell phone to satellite future service should be usable while traveling down the road, just not a tree covered road.
Since there is not yet even one of these satellites currently in orbit, when this is available and what it will be when it does become available is still a big question to be answered in the future.

[fwgjag]

pianotuna wrote:
fwgjag,

Can it be used while trundling down the road?

I guess I should ask that of this future cell phone connection.

No it cannot be used while traveling down the road yet.

[wa8yxm]

pianotuna wrote:
about 52 db of gain I think for the gain on the satellite--if I understood the article I read.

That may be enough for leo.

If I recall my DB properly 50 DB makes 0.1 watt = 100 watts. Not bad
Might be off by a power of 10 or two.

But as I said many have done it on 147/450 MHz bands with 5 watts out to a loss antenna ... So I'm not surprised.

[NamMedevac_70]

Very good question Beautiful Downtown and most important to me.

[RLS7201]

covered wagon wrote:
I like my flip phone because it's too weird talking to a piece of flat plywood type phone. Besides I like being disconnected as much as possible!

X2 (alc@tel 4056W)

Do we have any idea of the price structure of satellite cell service?

Richard

[covered_wagon]

I like my flip phone because it's too weird talking to a piece of flat plywood type phone. Besides I like being disconnected as much as possible!

[pianotuna]

fwgjag,

Can it be used while trundling down the road?

I guess I should ask that of this future cell phone connection.

[fwgjag]

How times are changing. I am reading this on my laptop that is connected to the internet via my Starlink dish. I think this will be great for remote areas. And just to note my Starlink for RV's is amazing.

[Dutch_12078]

"Currently the company’s Starlink unit is based in Redmond, Washington – a few miles east of Seattle. The Redmond facility has developed and produced Starlink equipment to date, with the company building upwards of 120 satellites per month."

SpaceX is building a factory in Austin, Texas for Starlink satellite internet equipment

[Skibane]

^IIRC, most of their satellite & rocket engine stuff is built at their Hawthorne, CA location (formerly Northrop's facility).

[NamMedevac_70]

This is great news. I am curious as where all these SpaceX satellites will be made in what state??? EM, SpaceX and Tesla does it better. Amazing good show.