Elon Musk's SpaceX, under the umbrella, has been approved to provide direct satellite service to mobile phones with Starlink.

Elon Musk’s space exploration company SpaceX has been approved to provide Direct To Cell service, providing more coverage for consumer mobile phones. SpaceX has partnered with the second largest wireless telecommunications operator in the United States, T-Mobile US Inc., to supplement T-Mobile’s base station coverage with its Starlink satellites.

Satellite phones are gradually integrating with regular mobile phones.

Traditional satellite phones communicate through satellites, with signals transmitted directly to satellites in Earth orbit and then relayed to ground stations. They have wide coverage and can be used in almost any location globally, including remote areas and at sea. However, call quality may be affected by weather and geographic conditions, with high latency and higher equipment and call costs.

While ordinary mobile phones rely on the base stations set up on the ground by telecommunication operators, the signal is transmitted between the base stations. The coverage area is limited by the distribution of the base stations, usually with better signals in urban and densely populated areas, but may not be available in remote areas.

Currently, there are several mobile phones that can send messages via satellite, such as the Apple iPhone 14 and newer models, the Huawei Mate 50, and the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. These phones use built-in satellite communication modules to communicate with satellites, including built-in satellite antennas, dedicated frequency bands, and software support, mainly for emergency rescue and positioning, allowing users to use them in emergency situations without mobile phone signals.

SpaceX and T-Mobile collaborate to increase mobile communication coverage

According to Bloomberg, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved SpaceX to provide partial coverage for consumer mobile phones. SpaceX will partner with T-Mobile US Inc., the second largest wireless telecommunications operator in the United States, to provide Direct To Cell service, using its Starlink satellites to supplement T-Mobile’s base station coverage.

SpaceX currently has over 6,700 satellites in orbit. Customers can also purchase a dish antenna from SpaceX to utilize the Starlink system for home broadband internet connection.

SpaceX launched its first batch of six satellites capable of providing mobile phone services in January, operating like mobile base stations in space. Users can connect directly with their phones, enabling text messaging in areas with weak or no traditional mobile signals.

SpaceX will also collaborate with operators in other parts of the world, including: Optus in Australia, Salt Mobile SA in Switzerland, Rogers Communications Inc. in Canada, One New Zealand Group Ltd. in New Zealand, Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones SA in Chile and Peru, and KDDI Corp. in Japan.

Starlink’s sales reached 10 billion pounds this year, and Musk is considering an IPO?

According to reports, Starlink’s total sales this year will reach $10 billion, surpassing its rocket launch business and accounting for two-thirds of total sales. It is rumored that Musk is considering spinning off the rapidly growing Starlink satellite business from SpaceX and conducting an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

(Musk hints at IPO for his company? Bloomberg teaches you how to buy SpaceX)

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