Starlink Comes To Smartphones
Direct to Cell service has appeared on the official website of the Starlink satellite operator SpaceX. It will allow you to send text and voice messages via satellites, as well as files from regular smartphones with 4G LTE support.
The company announced plans to launch a service for messaging via satellite back in 2022. Then it was assumed that the service would start working in 2023 with the support of the cellular operator T-Mobile. However, Direct to Cell is now scheduled to launch in 2024 for text messages, and the service should support voice messaging in 2025. In 2025, they also plan to connect IoT devices to the service.
There is little information about the new Starlink service yet. As the PCMag portal writes, Direct to Cell will be similar to satellite communications from AST SpaceMobile. The latter’s service, which is scheduled to launch next year, will provide the ability to transmit a 4G LTE communication signal from satellites to ordinary smartphones that do not have any hardware or software modifications.
Before launching Direct to Cell, the company will need to obtain permission from the US Federal Communications Commission. SpaceX has already approached the regulator to allocate a certain range of radio frequencies for it.
