SpaceX, T-Mobile to connect satellites to cellphones in remote areas
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Re: SpaceX, T-Mobile to connect satellites to cellphones in remote areas
#2I'm not sure how to title this exactly.
There's an article here:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/spacex-and-t-mobile-to-connect-...
Re: SpaceX, T-Mobile to connect satellites to cellphones in remote areas
#3AST SpaceMobile will be launching its first cellular base station satellite on a Falcon rocket later this year.
Re: SpaceX, T-Mobile to connect satellites to cellphones in remote areas
#4This is using cell towers to relay to the satellites right? There were some companies trying to do direct cell to satellite and I didn't think it was feasible.
Re: SpaceX, T-Mobile to connect satellites to cellphones in remote areas
#5I watched the announcement. Knowing Musk, I'll believe it when I see it, but it sounds promising. Apparently the G2 Starlink satellites will be equipped with large antennas to support cellular users on the existing spectrum.
Video was live-streamed, and still available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzli-Ww26Qs
Re: SpaceX, T-Mobile to connect satellites to cellphones in remote areas
#6This is using cell towers to relay to the satellites right? There were some companies trying to do direct cell to satellite and I didn't think it was feasible.
Direct from cell to sat, goal is deadzone free, global coverage
Re: SpaceX, T-Mobile to connect satellites to cellphones in remote areas
#7Key notes:
* Everywhere in the US and US territories including ocean waters you will get T-Mobile service through Starlink satellites, no additional hardware needed (for the person owning the cell phone anyway)
* Beta service starting end of 2023
* Included for free with most T-Mobile plans other than the cheapest plans
* More limited features may be added earlier, i.e. texting or emergency calling
* Total available bandwidth will be 2-4 megabits per cell zone so this is not intended to be a replacement for conventional cell service but a way to provide service to completely or almost completely unpopulated areas of the US
* T-Mobile wants to encourage other carriers in other countries to give up similar mid-band bandwidth (what T-Mobile is giving to SpaceX) and to any carriers who do, T-Mobile will offer reciprocal roaming where anyone from those countries visiting the US will also be able to use this service and T-Mobile will do the same for T-Mobile customers visiting in those other countries.
One unclear point: It supposedly depends on gen2/v2 satellites which depend on launching Starship, but there was a comment that they may launch a "v2 mini" on Falcon 9 and it was unclear if those will also support the hardware for T-Mobile service.
Re: SpaceX, T-Mobile to connect satellites to cellphones in remote areas
#8This is using cell towers to relay to the satellites right? There were some companies trying to do direct cell to satellite and I didn't think it was feasible.
No, it's the latter of what you mentioned-- direct cell to SpaceX satellites
Re: SpaceX, T-Mobile to connect satellites to cellphones in remote areas
#9space based global coverage scares the shit out of me, especially when its 100% commercial interests.
Thought you could be untrackable off grid? Think again.
Think you can be in an RF free zone, anywhere on planet? Nope.
There is no "off-grid" when your grid is literally LAT+LONG
100% data access sounds awesome until you realize that its no longer "surveillance state" and its "surveillance planet"
Re: SpaceX, T-Mobile to connect satellites to cellphones in remote areas
#10This is actually fascinating. T-Mobile doesn’t need a fiber or even cable buildout to a remote location, just power and the local clearances for a tower, they plop a Starlink antenna on the top and bam. Congestion will be a challenge but it will be way better than the current status quo.