T-Mobile US (TMUS.O) announced on Wednesday that SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday carrying the first batch of Starlink satellites capable of beaming phone communications from space directly to cellphones.
The US cellular carrier will employ Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s Starlink satellites to give network connectivity to mobile consumers in portions of the US, the firms said in August 2022.
Other cellular companies worldwide will work with SpaceX to deploy direct-to-cell technologies, including Japan’s KDDI (9433.T), Australia’s Optus, New Zealand’s One NZ, and Canada’s Rogers (RCIb.TO).
According to T-Mobile, the direct-to-cell service would initially offer text messaging, then phone and broadband capabilities in the following years.
SpaceX’s Starlink project employed a network of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide a high-speed internet connection to underserved or rural locations worldwide. These satellites communicate with user terminals deployed on the ground to offer internet access. While the service may potentially grow to meet other communication demands, such as mobile devices, no particular specifics concerning direct-to-cell capabilities have been noted or introduced as of January 2022.