The American operator T-Mobile has announced an agreement with SpaceX. bring Starlink, the company’s satellite Internet service, to the operator’s customers. The idea, described by Mike Sievert (CEO of T-Mobile) and Elon Musk, is to offer connectivity in areas of the country where there is no coverage due to a lack of terrestrial antennas providing service.
The service will initially offer throughput from 2 to 4 Mbps. The goal is for customers to initially be able to send SMS, MMS, and even use some messaging apps. The only requirement will be to have a good view of the sky in order to establish a connection to the Starlink satellite network.
The company guarantees that once development is complete, the service will be available throughout the United States, Hawaii, parts of Alaska, Puerto Rico, and territorial waters. In principle, for those who have chosen one of the most popular tariff plans of the company, there will be no additional costs.
This system will be based on Starlink V2 satellites, which will be launched next year and will be able to transmit signals directly to mobile phones – without the need to purchase accessories or buy a new phone. In other words: they will provide services from space, using the same frequencies and technologies as in conventional cellular networks, which will facilitate their adoption by consumers. Both parties have announced that testing with T-Mobile customers will begin late next year in select US regions.
 100vw, 780px” data-lazy-src=”https://i0.wp.com/imgs.hipertextual.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/model-s-plaid-1.jpg?resize=780%2C488&is-pending -load=1#038;quality=50&strip=all&ssl=1″ srcset=”data:image/ gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQ ABAAAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAAAAAAEAAAIBRAA7″><noscript><img data-lazy-fallback=)
Tesla will also connect with Starlink
However, SpaceX plans are not limited to a deal with T-Mobile. Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that Once the Starlink V2 satellites are operational, they will also be able to service Tesla vehicles.which currently use the networks of national operators for functions such as current traffic status, maps, streaming multimedia services or even updates software.
The mogul did not provide details on when and how the future connection of Tesla vehicles to Starlink satellites will work, but the fact that this option is not only being discussed but being implemented is certainly interesting.
Initially, It would make sense for Tesla’s connection to Starlink to coexist with its connection to 4G networks.. First of all, for performance. The 4G network is capable of providing much higher bandwidth than the 2-4 Mbps promised by the new Starlink satellites at the moment. However, in situations where a 4G network is not available, the SpaceX service can be of great help.
Satellite internet features
Both SpaceX’s agreement with T-Mobile and the possible Tesla connection are two examples of the reuse of a satellite internet service like Starlink. Starlink is also expected to bring Internet connectivity to aircraft in the near future. In fact, the FCC — the US telecommunications regulator — gave the green light to Elon Musk’s company this summer in this regard.
These new features are being added for all those customers who have contracted Starlink home service, which requires the installation of a satellite dish, payment of a monthly fee and delivers speeds comparable to fiber or 5G.
Source: Hiper Textual
