Billionaire Elon Musk has made hints that Starlink, his internet company, will soon begin offering its direct-to-mobile internet service in all of the nations in which it presently does business.
This coincided with the 42 new satellites that his satellite firm, SpaceX, launched, 26 of which had direct-to-cell capability.
Ben Longmier, one of the company’s engineers, reports that with Saturday’s launch, 168 satellites have been placed into service as part of the Direct-to-Cell initiative.
In an X post on Saturday, Musk stated that the business will be collaborating with network operators in every nation it serves to implement the service nationwide.
Remember that Starlink’s satellite internet service was introduced in January 2023, making Nigeria the first nation in Africa to do so. With its most recent launch in Botswana, the firm now operates in 15 African countries out of 105 worldwide.
What Musk said
He stated that other US carriers would be added later, despite the fact that Starlink direct-to-mobile phone Internet is now only available with Tmobile for the first year in the US.
“We are starting off working with one carrier in each country, but ultimately hope to serve all carriers,” Musk explained.
Starlink promises to provide global access to communication services with the new satellites.
The corporation stated on its website that “Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities enable ubiquitous access to texting, calling, and browsing wherever you may be on land, lakes, or coastal waters.”
“Direct to Cell is compatible with existing LTE phones anywhere you can view the sky. No changes to hardware, firmware, or special programs are required, allowing for seamless access to text, audio, and data,” the company stated.
What to note
In October of last year, Starlink made the announcement that it will be launching direct-to-mobile internet service. Its website stated that texting will be the first feature to be added in 2024, with phone, data, and Internet of Things services following in 2025.
According to schedule, the Starlink team used one of T-Mobile’s new Direct to Cell satellites, which had been launched six days earlier, to send and receive their first text messages on Monday, January 8, 2024.
When the service launches, Starlink said, users won’t need to buy new phones because it will function with all current 4G-capable smartphones.
There’s no denying that companies like MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and Airtel will lose some customers when voice and data services are made available via satellite to mobile devices, even though Musk is downplaying the likelihood of competition with terrestrial mobile network operators with direct-to-cell satellite services.
To take advantage of Starlink’s satellite service, MTN, the biggest telecom provider in Nigeria, is already setting itself up for partnership. In an effort to reach underserved areas throughout its operational market, MTN Groups recently disclosed that it was in discussions to extend its services with Starlink.
