SpaceX launches the first set of Starlink satellites for T-Mobile’s direct-to-cell plan – GeekWire

SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket sends Starlink satellites to space from a California launch pad. (SpaceX via Twitter/X)

The first satellites capable of providing direct-to-cellular service via SpaceXs Starlink network and T-Mobiles cellular network have been sent into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Six of the cell-capable satellites were among a batch of 21 Starlink satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 7:44 p.m. PT Tuesday. The satellites were deployed successfully, and the rockets first-stage booster made a routine landing on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

SpaceX plans to launch hundreds of the upgraded satellites in the months ahead, with the aim of beginning satellite-enabled texting later this year. 4G LTE satellite connectivity for voice and data via unmodified mobile devices would follow in 2025, pending regulatory approval.

Todays launch is a pivotal moment for this groundbreaking alliance with SpaceX and our global partners around the world, as we work to make dead zones a thing of the past, Mike Katz, president of marketing, strategy and products for Bellevue, Wash.-based T-Mobile, said today in a news release.

The partnership between SpaceX and T-Mobile is one of several efforts to merge the realms of satellite telecom service and cellular service. The most recent models of Apples iPhone already offer emergency texting service via satellite. Amazons Project Kuiper satellite effort is partnering with Verizon and other telecom companies for hybrid connectivity. AST SpaceMobile (which has AT&T as a partner) and Lynk Global are among other players in the market.

In the 16 months since T-Mobile and SpaceX announced their partnership, other wireless providers have signed up for Starlinks direct-to-cell service, including Rogers in Canada, Optus in Australia, One NZ in New Zealand, KDDI in Japan, Salt in Switzerland, and Entel in Chile and Peru. And the invitation still stands for any carrier with the shared goal of global connectivity to join, T-Mobile said.

Over the next few months, SpaceX and T-Mobile will be testing direct-to-cell service on a limited basis in sites across the U.S. including Redmond, Wash., where Starlink satellites are manufactured to ensure that the system wont interfere with other telecom services.

The development of SpaceXs Starship / Super Heavy launch system is another variable in the timeline: Once Starship enters service, that would accelerate the deployment of SpaceXs next-generation Starlink satellites.

See original here:

SpaceX launches the first set of Starlink satellites for T-Mobile's direct-to-cell plan - GeekWire