SpaceX and T-Mobile plan to link Starlink satellites to cellphones

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and T-Mobile plan to apply Starlink satellites to provide connection to the cellphone service’s customers across the U.S. accomplishing far corners has lengthy intention in wireless communications.

However, Elon Musk unveils a plan to provide voice and information offerings everywhere, not only through wi-fi networks. “It means no dead zones anywhere in the world for your cellphones,” SpaceX founder Elon Musk stated at an occasion at SpaceX’s facility in Texas.

He stated the satellite signal might reach phones in people’s wallets or inside a car and could offer simple messaging connections in locations hit by a natural disaster. Mr. Musk said the bandwidth might be limited, and the new satellite service would not supplant present ground-primarily based mobile offerings.

“This is meant to provide primary insurance to useless areas,” he stated. T-Mobile leader Mike Sievert said that the enterprise expects most cutting-edge smartphones to work with the brand-new carrier. It also predicts the satellite carrier to lose on its maximum popular month-to-month plans.

SpaceX and T-cellular U.S. Inc. said they plan to work collectively to apply the rocket company’s satellites to connect with T-Mobile cell phones across the U.S., even in far-flung areas with no current wireless service. Far-off locations can be high-priced to attain with land-based total wi-fi networks and comprise few paying subscribers to justify the fee.

Present satellite phone services usually require handsets with large antennas and monthly plans that rate in line with messages or minutes. The new service might use Starlink satellites as mobile towers and transmit directly again to gadgets on the ground.

T-cellular plans to set a slice of its mid-band spectrum for these connections. It would use the airwave frequencies in a manner that can also be used on its floor-based network. The undertaking faces regulatory hurdles. A spokeswoman for the service said that the Federal Communications fee would need to log off on SpaceX’s use of the T-Mobile spectrum.

She added that SpaceX could need to ease extra permission from the company. “We stay up for making our case and hearing their response,” the T-Mobile spokeswoman stated.

The companies said Thursday that the brand new carrier could use Starlink satellites that SpaceX plans to launch and provide connections to U.S. purchasers using a wireless spectrum managed by T-Mobile. The companies stated they initially planned a test of text-messaging offerings in pick-out markets before the give-up of 2023.

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