T-Mobile US said on Wednesday that SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday with the first set of Starlink satellites that can beam phone signals from space directly to smartphones.
The US wireless carrier will use Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s Starlink satellites to provide mobile users with network access in parts of the US, the companies had announced in August 2022.
Other wireless providers across the world, including Japan’s KDDI, Australia’s Optus, New Zealand’s One NZ and Canada’s Rogers, will collaborate with SpaceX to launch direct-to-cell technology.
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The direct-to-cell service at first will begin with text messaging followed by voice and data capabilities in the coming years, T-Mobile said. — Akash Sriram, (c) 2024 Reuters
