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SpaceX's satellite-to-phone service, Starlink Mobile, is now offering international roaming between Japan and the US.
Japanese telecom company KDDI today touted the launch of the “world's first international roaming connection” via Starlink Mobile, which means eligible KDDI Au subscribers can access the satellite-to-phone service in cellular dead zones in Japan and the US.
SpaceX has been offering Starlink Mobile through a growing number of mobile carriers, including T-Mobile in the US and Rogers in Canada. But until now, each carrier has offered satellite connectivity only within its country’s borders when users ventured beyond the normal cell-tower range.
Now, KDDI, an existing Starlink Mobile partner, is expanding its satellite connectivity to offer cross-border access in the US. Subscribers will switch over to T-Mobile’s Starlink Mobile service “in out-of-service areas in the United States without signing up for the time being.”
“When connected to satellite communications, ‘T-Mobile-SpaceX-au’ will be displayed in the upper-right corner of the screen,” KDDI adds, noting it’ll give eligible subscribers a way to still receive a signal at popular, but remote US destinations, such as Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon.
T-Mobile didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. So it’s unclear if the carrier will offer cross-border roaming capabilities for its own subscribers. But the announcement says: “T-Mobile and KDDI look forward to continuing to drive global connectivity together.”
The news offers a preview of how Starlink Mobile could enable subscribers to roam internationally by using SpaceX’s constellation of orbiting satellites. On Wednesday, SpaceX tweeted, “With Starlink Mobile, global roaming access is possible.”
Starlink Mobile can currently power low-resolution video calls, texting, and select mobile apps. But the service remains bandwidth-constrained and struggles to penetrate tree cover. However, SpaceX is preparing to upgrade its technology with next-generation satellites that promise to deliver 5G speeds of up to 150Mbps per user.