Starlink will use its satellite network to provide mobile connectivity to all LTE smartphones in white areas.
Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet access service, has just announced Direct To Cell, a project aimed at connecting our smartphones to its satellite network. The company led by Elon Musk intends to provide mobile connectivity where operators fail to offer coverage.
Direct to Cell, the solution against white areas?
According to the timeline shared by Starlink, it will be possible to send and receive SMS via satellite via Direct to Cell from 2024. Then in 2025, the company will offer voice calls and mobile data through this means. This same year, Starlink also intends to allow connected objects to interact with each other via this network.
All LTE compatible smartphones will be able to support this technology, it is announced. “No changes to hardware, firmware or applications are required”, assures Starlink. The stated goal is to eliminate white areas.
The system should, however, not have repercussions in autocratic countries and dictatorships, where internet access is not assured, limited or controlled, since it requires the infrastructure of local operators to function. For the moment, Starlink has no French partner, but large international operators like T-Mobile, Rogers, Optus, KDDI or Salt have already joined forces with SpaceX in this project.
No own network
The Starlink satellites (some of which have disappeared) that will support Direct to Cell functionality include an eNodeB modem, which acts like a cell tower in space. These have a relay role between the partner operator’s network and the terminal requiring connectivity. Starlink also relies on ground network infrastructure to link the network of mobile operators and its satellites.
Such a structure will inevitably have an impact on performance: you should not expect exceptional speeds or zero latency. The idea is really to provide an internet access solution in areas where broadband does not currently exist.
The Starlink satellites supporting Direct to Cell will be launched into space using the Falcon 9 rocket, then by Starship in a second phase.
Source : Starlink
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