(SpaceX)
SpaceX's plan to supply cellular service through its Starlink satellites has reached a new milestone: more than 100 “direct to cell” satellites in orbit.
On Wednesday, the company launched another group of Starlink satellites; 13 of them are meant to power the cellular Starlink service, which will deliver texts, voice, and data to unmodified smartphones on the ground.
SpaceX has been sending up direct-to-cell satellites since January, and the full count now stands at 103. Senior Director Sara Spangelo says the company plans on launching hundreds more later this year.
The ambitious launch schedule is necessary since SpaceX’s cellular Starlink system aims to start serving T-Mobile customers as soon as this fall. A month ago, SpaceX VP for Engineering Michael Nicolls indicated that the company needs about 300 direct-to-cell satellites in orbit before it can begin serving users with robust enough coverage.
In a letter to the FCC last month, the company also noted: "SpaceX is pleased to report that its tests of its direct-to-cellular system have met or exceeded all testing objectives, demonstrating that the system remains on track to offer commercial service in the United States this year.”
The tests, which have occurred in various locations across the US, have yielded a download rate as high as 17Mbps. The space-based cellular coverage has also worked on various phone models, including Samsung Galaxy, Apple iPhone, and Google Pixel devices.
SpaceX still needs FCC approval before operating the cellular Starlink service with T-Mobile. There’s also no word on how much the cellular Starlink service will cost customers. But the technology promises to help users receive broadband data in cellular dead zones, which are usually in rural and remote regions with limited access to ground-based networks.
Rivals, including AST SpaceMobile and Apple’s partner Globalstar, have also been working to offer similar services. In SpaceX’s case, the company plans to first support text messages before enabling voice and data in 2025.