This week, SpaceX has completed the creation of its first direct communications satellite constellation, Starlink. On Wednesday, the company launched 20 satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, 13 of which can communicate directly with mobile phones without additional equipment.
The launch of the constellation comes after the FCC approved a deal between SpaceX and T-Mobile last week. The companies announced the partnership in 2022, touting plans for a future where phones can be connected to the world even in the middle of the ocean. SpaceX says the satellite constellation acts “like a cell tower in space, providing network integration similar to a standard roaming partner.”
On Thursday, SpaceX posted on X that the direct cellular satellites “will immediately connect via laser transit to the Starlink constellation, eliminating dead spots and providing peace of mind when customers need it most.” The company sent and received its first text messages over T-Mobile’s network earlier this year.
The low-orbit constellation has 6,799 operational satellites, and Space.com reports that about 330 of them can communicate directly with cell phones. On Thursday, Elon Musk said that unmodified cell phones will have a bandwidth of about 10 Mbps per beam. He said future constellations will be capable of much higher bandwidth.
The companies will likely provide consumers with more details when Starlink Direct to Cell becomes available. This is currently scheduled for next year. However, the constellation is not limited to T-Mobile. Android Central reports that SpaceX senior director Ben Longmire said shortly after the deployment that the satellites are “open for business for any telecom company in the world.”
