(Credit: PCMag/Michael Kan)
SpaceX has filed to trademark "Starlink Mobile," suggesting CEO Elon Musk is serious about launching a mobile carrier.
On Thursday, an X user noted that SpaceX had submitted a filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office on Oct. 16—shortly after Musk entertained the idea of competing with traditional carriers, and over a month after the company reached a $17 billion deal to acquire valuable radio spectrum from Boost Mobile’s parent, EchoStar.
The trademark would apply to a wide range of sectors, including telecommunications and communications services, as well as “video and data to mobile phones and smart devices,” and “cellular personal communication services,” among others.
SpaceX also filed to trademark "Powered by Starlink," which applies to the same sectors.
SpaceX appears to be laying the groundwork to expand its cellular Starlink service, which is already available through T-Mobile and other carriers, including Rogers in Canada and KDDI in Japan. The technology uses orbiting satellites, instead of traditional cell towers, to beam connectivity to users in cellular dead zones.
The system is already helping users and businesses connect in rural and remote areas. That said, the cellular Starlink service currently operates at slower speeds; for now, you get enough data to support lower-quality video calls, social media apps, and text messaging.
(Credit: PCMag/Michael Kan)The radio spectrum from the EchoStar deal promises to upgrade the cellular Starlink service with even more capacity and capabilities, enabling SpaceX to deliver service on par with 4G LTE. The company is planning to launch as many as 15,000 next-generation satellites to power the upgraded cellular service. In addition, SpaceX's regulatory application mentions using both satellites and ground-based equipment to offer cell coverage.
The big question is whether SpaceX will ever offer cellular Starlink as a standalone service and compete with traditional carriers. A day after the EchoStar deal, Musk indicated it’s possible SpaceX could try to become a global carrier, but he also tempered expectations.
“To be clear, we're not going to put the other carriers out of business. They’re still going to be around because they own a lot of spectrum,” he told the All-in Podcast. “But yes, you should be able to have Starlink like you have an AT&T, or T-Mobile, or Verizon, or whatever.”
AT&T and Verizon have partnered with rival AST SpaceMobile to deliver satellite connectivity, while Apple has been using Globalstar for emergency satellite connectivity to iPhone users. However, there have been rumors that Globalstar could be acquired by SpaceX.