SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said that T-Mobile subscribers in the US will get direct to mobile phone internet with the help of Starlink satellites first and customers of other telcos will get it later.
“Starlink direct to mobile phone Internet is exclusively with T-Mobile in the US for the first year, then other carriers thereafter,” Musk wrote on X. “We are starting off working with one carrier in each country, but ultimately hope to serve all carriers.”
Musk’s comment comes on the heels of SpaceX launching 26 Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities to low-Earth orbit last Saturday.
SpaceX has launched nearly 7,000 Starlink satellites to orbit, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell.
The select satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities feature a modem functioning as a cell tower in space, aiming to provide users with global access to texting, calling, and internet browsing using standard LTE phones, without requiring additional hardware, software, or apps.
T-Mobile and SpaceX announced a partnership in August 2022 aiming to connect the smartphones on T-Mobile’s network to Starlink satellites. The partnership is aimed at providing connectivity to remote locations that are untouched by cell signals from any provider.
Other cellular providers to have signed similar partnerships with SpaceX include Optus from Australia, Rogers from Canada, and KDDI in Japan.
SpaceX plans to roll out texting services with the help of the satellites by the end of 2024, followed by voice calls, data, and internet-of-things (IoT) services in 2025.
