You may remember that back in 2022, T-Mobile and SpaceX teamed up to announce a direct-to-cellular satellite connection for regular, unmodified phones via the Starlink satellite network. SpaceX is ramping up launch plans to get as many satellites into service as possible this year and next, according to a new report. This includes attempting 100 launches over the next two and a half months. In 2024, the launch plan will be even more ambitious, with 12 missions per month, or a total of 144 missions throughout the year.
"We will also look into direct-to-cellular communications with Starlink, a key feature that will be added to these 144 flights next year," a SpaceX spokesperson said.
As previously promised, 2024 should only see the first public release of text-to-cell service (SMS). The full-speed satellite LTE service, with speeds up to 2Mbps, is scheduled to debut in 2025. According to ArsTechnica, the latter feature requires larger satellites that will be launched aboard SpaceX's Starship. In the meantime, the company must design "intermediate" sized devices that are still larger than older models but can still fly on the Falcon 9 rocket.
T-Mobile's "most popular" plans (likely T-Mobile's Magenta MAX) will be eligible for Starlink connectivity at no additional cost, while users on cheaper plans can pay extra to access it. However, Starlink has already reached agreements with a number of other operators around the world: Australia’s Optus, Canada’s Rogers, Japan’s KDDI, New Zealand’s OneNZ and Switzerland’s Salt. However, the only release schedule we currently have is from T-Mobile in the US.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that Starlink’s service range is limited to land, lakes and coastal waters. On land, this would fill coverage gaps for operators without the need to build more infrastructure. There are many other questions yet to be answered about the service and its coverage, such as how international roaming should be billed.