ANDREW WOODEN
SpaceX-owned Starlink has quietly started advertising its Direct to Cell service on its website, promising connectivity to existing LTE phones “wherever you can see the sky.”
Direct to Cell works with existing LTE phones with no changes to hardware, firmware, or special apps required, claims the site. Starlink will offer text services in 2024, followed by voice, data and IoT connectivity in 2025.
Basically anywhere you are outside you will be able to use your existing LTE phone to tap into the satellite service, the obvious benefit being if you are out in the wilderness somewhere without terrestrial coverage.
Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capability are loaded with an eNodeB modem that acts like a cellphone tower in space, “allowing network integration similar to a standard roaming partner.”
The site says: “SpaceX is leveraging its experience in manufacturing and launching the world’s most advanced rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink satellites with the Direct to Cell capability at scale. Direct to Cell satellites will initially be launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and then Starship. On orbit the satellites will immediately connect over laser backhaul to the Starlink constellation to provide global connectivity.”
In August last year, Elon Musk and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert made a big spectacle at SpaceX’s launch facility, announcing ‘Coverage Above and Beyond’ a joint project which promised to ‘bring cell phone connectivity everywhere’.
The project appears to have experienced a name change in the intervening time, and additional operator partners are now listed on the new webpage as Optus in Australia, Rogers in Canada, One NZ in New Zealand, KDDI in Japan, and Salt in Switzerland.
As was the case with that initial launch, the details of what level of connectivity might be possible using this method remains vague – there was no actual announcement or press release for service which might have yielded such specifics.
To that point, Peter Kibutu, Advanced Technology Lead – NTNs at TTP told Telecoms.com:
“Starlink continues to set ambitious targets for its satellite network, however, its plans to deliver a direct-to-cell service requires scrutiny. Offering connectivity supported by unmodified 4G handsets might only result in low- bandwidth data and voice services, falling short of contemporary data demands and user experience.
“Delivering satellite connectivity akin to what we can experience today on 4G and 5G devices will require the 3GPP-compliant 5G NR NTN waveform, which is continuously optimised to maximise the performance of direct to handset services over LEO satellite constellations. Starlink has made it clear that it will continue to use its own proprietary technology which, while providing it with speed to market, could present roadblocks in years to come as it struggles to support high-performance connectivity services and use cases that will be readily available via other satellite operator’s 5G NTN networks.
It will be interesting to see if Starlink will also be looking to develop services that leverage industry best practices and incorporate a wider ecosystem.”
There are no details on pricing or anything else at this stage either, so we’ll just have to wait for more to emerge in order to weigh up what it is precisely Starlink is offering, and how it compares to rival satellite connectivity ventures.
About the writer: Andrew Wooden has extensive experience in tech journalism and content strategy.–Telecoms.com
