Starlink takes a key step to bring satellite internet to your mobile phone

One of SpaceX’s great plans is transfer Starlink satellite internet to mobile phones. This week, Elon Musk’s aerospace company sought permission from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to begin testing it.

The company’s idea is to use 840 satellites Starlink constellations to provide communications 2000 mobile devices. The experiment will begin on December 10 and will last 180 days, SpaceX said. Of course, provided that the regulatory authorities provide you with the necessary license to do so.

The idea is that out of the total number of satellites expected to be used, about 60 constantly provide Starlink Internet access to the devices used during the test. It is worth saying that SpaceX will not engage in this process alone, but in collaboration with T-Mobile.

Let us recall that the two companies announced the creation of an alliance that will provide Starlink Internet on mobile devices, and in the future on Tesla cars, in 2022. However, the project has not made much progress since then. Just last month, Elon Musk’s people launched a website dedicated to this new service called Direct to cell phone.

“Direct to cell phone Works with existing LTE phones anywhere there is sky. “No changes to hardware, firmware or special applications are required, allowing seamless access to text messages, calls and data,” SpaceX says. However, it will become fully operational only in a couple of years.

Starlink hopes to offer the opportunity send and receive text messages via satellite Internet in 2024. Starting in 2025, support for calls and mobile data will be added, as well as compatibility with IoT devices.

Starlink wants to start testing satellite Internet on mobile devices

If the FCC grants approval, Starlink satellites could launch this experiment to bring satellite Internet to smartphones. The company intends use the 1910-1915 MHz and 1990-1995 MHz bands.. In the US they are operated exclusively by T-Mobile.

SpaceX intends to conduct tests Direct to cell phone in more than a dozen regions of the North American country. We are talking about Mountain View, San Diego and Los Angeles (California); Dallas and Houston (Texas); Virginia Beach and Reston (Virginia); Kansas City (Kansas); Redmond (Washington); Columbus (Ohio) and Bethel (Oklahoma).

Elon Musk’s people think these Starlink tests are of public interest and therefore they deserve permission from the FCC. “Granting this experimental license will allow SpaceX to begin testing its transformative technology. Direct to cell phonewhich will provide communications in areas where land mobile networks are missing or have been affected by natural disasters,” the request states.

Of course, Starlink’s experiments in bringing satellite Internet to mobile devices have met with some resistance in the telecommunications industry. AT&Tfor example, has tried to stop testing in recent months, arguing that the FCC needs to provide more information to ensure that tests from SpaceX will not interfere with the operation of their networks.

Let’s see how this story goes. At this point, Starlink and T-Mobile have everything they need to begin testing satellite internet on mobile phones. The only thing missing is regulatory approval.