A recent launch by SpaceX will connect Starlink satellites directly to mobile phones in the United States. The company launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California last week, carrying 21 StarLink satellites into orbit. It is worth noting that for the first time, this batch of satellites includes six Starlink satellites with direct connection to mobile phones.
In December, Space X received approval to test direct calls between StarLink satellites and regular mobile**. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted SpaceX a temporary six-month license to test the new satellite technology with 2,000 test equipment and 840 satellites.
SpaceX has partnered with T-Mobile and has issued an open invitation to providers around the globe. So far, five companies have chosen to participate: Rogers from Canada, KDDI from Japan, Optus from Australia, One NZ from New Zealand and SALT from Switzerland. The six satellites are equipped with space-based cellular broadband networks that, according to SpaceX, will "enable mobile network operators around the world to provide seamless global access services, including text, calling, and browsing services on land, lakes, or coastal waters."
The plan aims to deploy substantial cell towers in space, eliminating the additional hardware needed to make calls on the ground while expanding cell phone service outside of cellular dead zones. The FCC is still working to develop a regulatory framework for satellite services that interface directly to mobile phones, but several companies are already looking to take the lead in leveraging the technology.
AST SpaceMobile and Virginia-based Lynk Global are also working to develop space-based cellular broadband networks that can be accessed directly from mobile phones. In September 2022, AST SpaceMobile launched its prototype satellite (aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket) and successfully made the first 5G** call to a Samsung Galaxy S22 using the AT&T spectrum. Lynk Global has also deployed three satellites designed to provide services directly to mobile phones on Earth.
Starlink satellite services will start with text messaging first, with voice and data coverage planned to follow beyond 2025. According to SpaceNews, SpaceX still needs to obtain a license before it can start offering these services to its customers.