SpaceX finished its first direct-to-cell Starlink satellite constellation this week. On Wednesday, the company launched 20 satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, 13 of which can communicate directly with mobile phones without additional equipment.
The full constellation follows the FCC's approval of a deal between SpaceX and T-Mobile last week. The companies announced the partnership in 2022, touting plans for a future where phones can connect to the world even in the middle of the ocean. SpaceX says The satellite constellation acts “like a cell tower in space, enabling network integration similar to that of a standard roaming partner.”
On Thursday, SpaceX <a target="_blank" data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://x.com/Starlink/status/1864723952540746122″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:posted;cpos:6;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>aware in x that direct-to-cell satellites “will immediately connect via laser backhaul to the Starlink constellation, eliminating dead zones and providing peace of mind when customers need it most.” The company sent and received its first text messages over T-Mobile's network earlier this year.
The low Earth orbit constellation has 6,799 operational satellites and space.com information that around 330 can communicate directly with cell phones. On Thursday, Elon Musk said that unmodified mobile phones would enjoy bandwidth of around 10 Mbps per beam. He said future constellations will be able to achieve much higher performance.
Companies will presumably go into more detail for consumers once Starlink Direct to Cell is available. is currently addressed for next year. However, the constellation is not limited to just T-Mobile. Android Center information that SpaceX senior director Ben Longmier said shortly after the deployment that the satellites are “open to business for any telecommunications company in the world.”
