Elon Musk's cell towers in space: Enabling global smartphone connectivity unbounded by geography
For decades, mobile phone users have relied on base stations for connectivity. However, there are numerous places worldwide where it's either impossible due to geographical or legal constraints, or just not cost-effective to construct telecommunication towers. As such, coverage isn't available everywhere.
Being out in a forest or up in the mountains often means preparing for the lack of ability to make voice calls or send messages. Satellite connectivity offers a partial solution to this issue, but it comes with limitations.
Primarily, only specific phones can utilize satellite connectivity, and for now, it's only compatible with some of the priciest smartphones. Even owning a suitable device won't necessarily eliminate all the problems.
Take the iPhone 14 and 15 series, for instance. They support satellite connectivity, but only in certain countries. At present, this feature only allows messages to be sent to emergency services and it's projected to become a paid service by 2025.
So, what if we approached this problem from a different angle? Instead of developing a new communication standard from scratch, why not send existing relay stations into space? That's precisely what Elon Musk is planning to do.
SpaceX is looking to provide satellite connectivity for all smartphones, and service providers are eager to adapt to this technology
In August 2022, Musk announced plans to release Starlink satellites into orbit, with the capability to directly link to current LTE smartphones. The Direct to Cell technology is colloquially known as a "cell tower in space".
Interestingly, the American branch of T-Mobile was the first to express interest in this solution. However, Musk is encouraging collaboration with providers globally, and it seems his call has been answered. Within a year, several other networks from Rogers (Canada), KDDI (Japan), Optus (Australia), One NZ (New Zealand), and Salt (Switzerland) have joined the initiative. That includes six significant players on a global scale.
SpaceX is planning to roll out the Direct to Cell service in three stages:
- 2024 - enabling sending and receiving text messages;
- 2025 - internet connectivity and voice calls;
- 2026 - expanding satellite coverage to incorporate Internet of Things devices.
Any phone that supports the 4G LTE network will be compatible with the service. Customers of the participating providers will only need to sign up for the appropriate plan to use their smartphones in places where cellular networks have yet to reach.
Still, this doesn't mean mobile network usage high up in the mountains will become completely hassle-free overnight. In 2022, Musk said that Starlink V2 satellites would deliver a modest data transfer speed of 2-4 Mb/s. While that's sufficient for making a voice call or sending a text or photo, streaming Netflix in remote areas is not feasible just yet. Despite its limitations, this approach reflects a significant breakthrough in mobile telephony.
