This service starts to roll out in January 2025. At first text messaging, as more Direct-to-cell Starlink Satellites are orbited data and internet will be added. This will not be platform specific.
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Starlink Direct to Cell, This is a game changer
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I got a feeling the world will regret the thousands of starlink satellites floating around up there at some point. They are already damaging to astronomy from earth. It’s only a matter of time before debris starts damaging them and causing Kessler syndrome, imho.
Is this service meant to replace traditional wireless or a supplementary service for times when you are out of range of a cellular tower? It sounds like the former. I'm guessing there will be a premium add/on price for this.
Thanks to the moderator I could not figure out where to put this posting. 🙏 This will be a big deal in Wyoming.
That is way I see it. I have read that on enabled smartphones it will be automatic once Direct to Cell is activated, if there is no Cell signal it will switch over to satellite. AT&T is going to get it the text messaging part next year. What is going have the present day providers howling is when Starlink has their own Smartphone that comes with this connectivity out of the box. It will be interesting to see what Apple does with this.
The company aims to be the former, but I suspect the reality will be the latter. In terms of cost, keeping satellites in space will be much more expensive than maintaining optical fiber on the ground. For most people, when you’re not getting a cell tower signal, you’re not likely to be in direct sight of a satellite either. This makes the service niche and raises the cost per user.
If you keep your eye on a clear night sky, you will see numerous satellites crisscrossing the sky. There is satellite TV and radio signals all around the world. StarLink is just one of numerous companies involved in satellite radio, TV, and other types of communication. GPS relies on satellites, and Apple relies on it for its "Emergency SOS."
I believe that Musk will be producing relatively cheap smart TV's (advertised at $100.00), and a very sophisticated cellphone ($200.00). I assume that since the service charge will be high, the cost for the device (TV, cellphone, etc.) will be low. Also, Apple will have no option but to charge for now free satellite messaging, unless it can launch its own satellite.
At the moment there are several companies that use satellite (GPS) communication of various kinds. The company that can launch its own satellites and also produce the devices that rely on it (TV, radio, navigation, and so on) now has the upper hand.
A few US companies use satellite communication for texting, voice, TV, and radio. Garmin has some (GPS) devices. Having full GPS communication incorporated in the cellphone will become normal very soon, but the service won't be free. I have no idea how Apple will handle the added cost. Maybe charge more for the iPhone?
What is happening right now is unprecedented. There are currently something on the order of 10,000 active satellites in orbit, about 6,000 of them are SpaceX. SpaceX is approved for more than 42,000.
GPS has 31 satellites in medium earth orbit. Inmarsat uses 13 out at geosynchronous orbit. Iridium used to be considered a big constellation with 80 satellites in low earth orbit.
42,000 LEO satellites changes how we interact with space.
I wonder if the answer to the question of why intelligent life from elsewhere in the galaxy hasn't been here to visit is because every civilization eventually traps itself beneath a layer of space junk.
Yes, and not only satellite communication is taking place, but there are some news reports about Quantum communication, mapping, etc., to be used instead of GPS. Still, satellites will be used for years to come (sounds like Capt. Picard and his boldly space travel
What is quantum navigation – and could it replace GPS?
Quantum navigation may be ‘unjammable’ but we're not giving up our reliance on satellite data any time soon. Here’s what you need to know.
www.weforum.org
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Yes, that’s why it’ll never compete with cellular. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere.
Even if it didn’t require LOS, satellites are hundreds of km in the sky compared to a couple dozen for cellular. This has a big effect on power consumption.
I assume that just like radio communication, "repeaters" for satellite communication can be used for both radio and cellphone use. After all, radio signals require a clear line of sight, but transmission towers, stations, and so on, can extend the radio signal all around, even in urban areas.
Elon Musk Just Changed Everything: Starlink Lets iPhones and Androids Call Anywhere on Earth—No Towers Needed
Elon Musk’s Starlink has done it again—redefining the way we communicate on Earth! With a revolutionary new feature called Direct-to-Cell, Starlink promises to make smartphone calls from anywhere on the planet a reality. Forget cell towers or specialized hardware—this service is set to work on...
www.msn.com
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I assume that just like radio communication, "repeaters" for satellite communication can be used for both radio and cellphone use. After all, radio signals require a clear line of sight, but transmission towers, stations, and so on, can extend the radio signal all around, even in urban areas.
Elon Musk Just Changed Everything: Starlink Lets iPhones and Androids Call Anywhere on Earth—No Towers Needed
Elon Musk’s Starlink has done it again—redefining the way we communicate on Earth! With a revolutionary new feature called Direct-to-Cell, Starlink promises to make smartphone calls from anywhere on the planet a reality. Forget cell towers or specialized hardware—this service is set to work on...www.msn.com
Fundamentally, it'll never compete with traditional cellular due to higher cost and power consumption.
Direct to Cell means the satellite can act as a mini cell tower in space. But it still needs a lot of energy to transmit the signal from space and through the atmosphere. iPhone needs to do the same to upload. Right now DTC is extremely slow due to technical factors. But let's assume it somehow matches the speed of 5G and power consumption is identical. Keeping satellites in space is far more expensive than terrestrial maintenance, which means it won't be competitive. Normal consumers will still opt for less expensive traditional cellular unless they need service in the middle of nowhere.
What I was referring to was about the following: what if the satellite signals can be received and then transmitted/repeated and maintained by ground stations? For example, lest say that the signal from a satellite can be received by the Verizon towers and stations, and then available as an option for their cellphone users? In this case the customer can make a call anywhere around the world, regardless if the receiver is in a city or out in the open sea, or from the open sea to a person right inside a city.
As it is now I can place a GPS (satellite) call or even text to preassigned emergency responders, regardless of where they or I are located at the moment. This is being done by Garmin and other SAT-phone companies, and supposedly Apple is incorporating it into the iPhone starting with the iPhone 14. I imagine that if one can make a call from a remote location into a city emergency service, the same call can be made from the city center to a remote location, since the satellite signal is just a bridge between space and the phone service provider.
~Just my imagination at play
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Sure, but why would the Verizon customer subscribe to Starlink service in the first place? They already have Verizon coverage. It's the receiver of the call living in the open sea that needs Starlink. The power consumption and economics don't work as a competitor to traditional cellular. There will certainly be customers of satellite - rural, industrial, government, recreation, etc. But normal everyday people will stick with traditional cellular service.
Yes, I understand what you are saying. But Verizon would be providing the customer with a GPS or satellite service, although the customer is not directly paying StarLink for the service, just Verison. StarLink is just one of numerous companies that are providing satellite services. What I am trying to say is that the new cellphone market seems to be moving into the addition of satellite communication, and I am assuming that while it is free at the moment, the cost of incorporating such an option will be passed down to the customer. Apple, Samsung (Android), and so oare already incorporating SAT text messaging.
I do agree that the mijority of people are in the cities, but lost of us spend time in the outdoors in remote locations: skying, climbing mountains, camping, hunting, boating, and so on. Lots of people go through emergencies and carry "locators" with them because the lack of cell service. Apple now incorporates a SAT option in case of emergency. in this case I don't have to carry an additional and heavy SAT phone, just my cellphone, although a Garmin "locator" is quite small in size.
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The hardware shouldn’t be expensive. I agree it will become more common. Huawei first offered satellite voice calling and SMS at launch of Mate 60 in 2023 which was under $800. Apple followed with satellite SMS for iPhone 14 in 2024. Not sure how many people will subscribe to Starlink separately or bundled with their normal carrier.
As far as I understand it, StarLink provides a TV service that is similar to previous SAT TV viewers that in the past had a large satellite dish in their property. The difference is that StarLink sells the service with a compact and portable package (compact TV antenna/receiver, a router, etc.). Emergency,
Just keep in mind that I have no idea if StarLink is any better than other available SAT services. One of my sons used StarLinK for Internet, TV, and so on.
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