In the summer of 2022, SpaceX and T-Mobile made headlines with their collaboration, aimed at bringing satellite-to-mobile phone services to reality. However, since that announcement, updates have been scarce. Now, SpaceX has unveiled a new webpage outlining its plans: texting on conventional smartphones is set to become available in 2024, with voice and data services following in 2025.
While details on the SpaceX website are limited, it emphasizes that Starlink Direct to Cell will function with existing LTE phones wherever there’s a view of the sky. Importantly, subscribers won’t need any hardware modifications or special applications.
SpaceX explains that the “Direct to Cell” satellites will initially launch aboard its Falcon 9 rocket and later aboard the Starship. Once in orbit, these satellites will establish connections through laser backhaul to the Starlink constellation, offering global connectivity.
During the interim period since the SpaceX and T-Mobile partnership announcement, SpaceX has formed collaborations with other wireless carriers, including Rogers, KDDI, Optus, One NZ, and Salt.
However, in the United States, SpaceX still needs to secure spectrum permissions and other technical approvals from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In December 2022, SpaceX submitted a request to the FCC to add a direct-to-cellular payload to 2,016 of its second-generation Starlink satellites.
Technical Challenges:
Recently, The Aerospace Corporation, a non-profit organization providing technical analysis for the satellite industry, released a paper titled “The Great Convergence and the Future of Satellite-Enabled Direct-To-Device.” The paper highlights the challenges of connecting consumer-grade cell phones directly to satellites, especially low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites traveling at high speeds.
Key challenges outlined in the paper include:
1. Link Analysis: Overcoming differences in transmit power and receiver power, complicated by the satellite’s rapid movement and altitude.
2. Frequency Compensation: The need to adjust the transmission timing and account for propagation delays.
3. Network Software: Ensuring that phones can adapt to the time delays introduced by the extended-range satellite connection.
4. Power Requirements: Operating cell phones at higher power levels to establish a stable connection with satellites, which may impact battery life.
While SpaceX is paving the way for this innovative technology, the industry is collectively working on overcoming these hurdles. Lynk Global and AST SpaceMobile are among those demonstrating breakthroughs in satellite-to-cell communication.
The prospect of global, satellite-based mobile connectivity is on the horizon, but as this technology matures, it will undoubtedly bring its unique set of challenges to overcome.
