Starlink's satellite-to-cell phone service gets a step closer

Starlink satellites are on a mission to help users make calls and send text messages in areas that are usually cell-coverage dead zones. — Photography Aleksandr Kukharskiy/Shutterstock/AFP Relaxnews

SpaceX is due to carry out its first satellite-to-cell phone tests this year. The aim is to put an end to so-called dead zones with no cell coverage, whether on land, at sea or in the air, allowing users to make calls or send text messages thanks to the firm's constellation of Starlink satellites.

It is Jonathan Hofeller, SpaceX's vice-president in charge of Starlink enterprise sales, who shared the news, reports CNBC. Even if he did not specify the identity of the partner operator, it is likely to be T-Mobile, with which an agreement was already signed last summer.

Initially, the service expects to offer near-complete coverage of the American territory, including in areas where cell coverage is usually patchy, such as deserts, mountains or certain national parks. Eventually, the satellite should allow communication wherever the user may be, including in dead zones, where access to cellular signals can be unreliable, or at sea or in high mountains. The first tests should be conducted in 2023 for sending and receiving SMS, while voice calls should follow in 2024.

As part of its Starlink internet access program, SpaceX has already launched nearly 4,000 satellites into low orbit, at an altitude of about 550 km, as part of a program that plans to launch more than 10,000. Its ultimate goal is to be able to initially cover the entire US and then the rest of the world, thus offering a high-speed internet connection to anyone, anywhere.

Starlink now has more than a million users worldwide and can even serve moving vehicles, such as cars, vans and school buses. Starlink even hopes to provide a reliable high-speed connection onboard airplanes.

Note that satellite phone communications are still rare and require the use of specific handsets. In terms of consumer smartphones, this is currently reserved for emergency purposes, starting with the latest generation of iPhone, which allows users to send SOS alerts through a satellite connection. However, the function is likely to expand, with Qualcomm's upcoming rollout of a new compatible chip and the next Android update, which also promises to support this type of communication. – AFP Relaxnews