More Rival for MTN, Airtel, Others as Elon Musk’s Starlink Begins Direct-to-Phone Satellite Pilot
- With the potential to completely transform the global telecom industry, Starlink has begun beta-testing its direct-to-mobile service
- From the skies, users can access broadband internet services and make phone calls, even in the most remote regions
- SpaceX launched a number of its low-Earth orbit satellites in 2024 to prime its constellation for a direct-to-mobile offering
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Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
On Monday, January 27th, Starlink started beta testing its direct-to-mobile service, a project that has the potential to revolutionize the worldwide telecom sector.
Source: Getty Images
Users in even the most remote locations can make phone calls and access broadband internet services from the sky thanks to direct-to-mobile connectivity, which enables satellites to function as cellular towers in space.
“Starlink direct from satellite to cellphone internet connection starts beta test in 3 days,” Musk said in an X post on FridayJanuary 24.
In 2024, SpaceX prepared its constellation for a direct-to-mobile offering by launching several of its low-Earth orbit satellites.
For instance, SpaceX has direct-to-mobile capability on 13 of the 20 satellites it put into orbit in June 2024.
Thirteen of the 20 additional satellites that were deployed to the constellation ten days later could also establish direct connections with mobile phones.
Satellites with direct-to-mobile compatibility, according to Starlink, which is still unavailable in South Africa, include a sophisticated eNodeB modem that functions as a cellular tower in orbit, enabling network integration in a manner akin to how a typical roaming partner would connect to a cellular network.
Direct-to-mobile technology is still in its early phases and will address low-bandwidth use cases such as emergency text messaging. As the technology advances, higher-bandwidth applications like voice and video calling are anticipated to follow.
This year, Starlink also intends to launch an internet-of-things service via satellite.
Frontrunner Lynk Global, Amazon's Project Kuiper, and AST SpaceMobile, a Texas-based satellite operator that is 5% owned by Vodafone Group, the parent company of the Vodacom Group, are competitors in the direct-to-mobile market. Satellite-based broadband businesses and terrestrial mobile operators are increasingly forming partnerships.
The capacity to extend networks in rural and isolated locations, where infrastructure rollout is more costly and less profitable, is advantageous to mobile operators.
Also, satellite service providers like Starlink gain from being able to reach a wider audience globally without having to make investments in systems that interact with customers.
Additionally, by partnering, mobile carriers can avoid the regulatory burdens they frequently face.
However, direct from satellite to mobile capability poses a danger to the global telecom environment since it may theoretically allow satellite broadband providers to directly compete with terrestrial mobile operators if they were to acquire their own spectrum.
Speaking to journalists last November, MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita said MTN was “very aware” of the challenges of having to compete as a fixed and wireless operator with LEO satellites.
“LEO operators should be treated the same as terrestrial operators such as ourselves: [they should be] subjected to the same regulatory requirements, whether it’s around data privacy, data transport, localisation or access to spectrum,” Mupita said. “Our ask is that there should just be a level playing ground.”
Elon Musk’s starlink introduces cheaper kit
Legit.ng reported that Elon Musk’s Starlink has introduced a cheaper kit and a $30.87 monthly residential plan in Kenya after another network carrier, Safaricom, raised its fibre internet speeds to rival the satellite internet company’s service.
To attract price-conscious customers, the Starlink Mini will now sell for $208.38 and have a maximum speed of up to 100mbps.
The company launched a $347.25 kit in East Africa in July last year.
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Source: Legit.ng
