SpaceX is preparing to launch satellite communication for mobile operators, starting with subscribers in the United States
Smartphone © pixabay.com
Last summer, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, and Mike Sievert, CEO of the US operator T-Mobile, announced a joint initiative called Coverage Above and Beyond. The aim of the initiative was to create T-Mobile devices that would be compatible with Starlink satellite coverage.
According to the reporter Michael Sheetz, during the Satellite Conference and Exhibition 2023, Jonathan Hofeller, vice president of corporate sales for Starlink at SpaceX, announced that the company plans to begin testing its satellite communication service this year.
Hofeller: SpaceX plans to "start getting into testing" its Starlink satellite-to-cell service "this year."
— Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) March 13, 2023
Hofeller did not disclose the name of the operator that SpaceX is working with, but the timing coincides with Musk's original vision of partnering with T-Mobile. In August, Musk promised that Starlink V2 would be launched in 2023 and would provide services directly to mobile phones.
T-Mobile said the service would provide the operator with nearly complete coverage of most of the United States, including areas where signal is difficult to find, such as national parks, mountain ranges, deserts, and other remote areas.
It is expected that Starlink satellite communication will provide high-speed internet access worldwide, using thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit. In addition, Starlink satellite communication provides fast and reliable internet access in areas with insufficient coverage by traditional networks.
