Although SpaceX several months ago asked the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow the launch of its satellite cellular service Starlink this fall, this service will most likely appear at its partner, the US cellular operator T-Mobile, only next year.
Image source: Starlink
T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert told CNBC that a satellite cellular beta program in partnership with Starlink could begin late this year or early next year.
Siewert did not provide a reason for delaying the launch of the service, but the mention of the beta program suggests that T-Mobile will first launch cellular service using Starlink satellites on a small scale before moving forward with a broader rollout of the service.
SpaceX’s official website says the company will offer customers text messaging via satellites this year and will launch voice and data support in 2025.
SpaceX previously announced that to launch satellite cellular service in the United States, it needs to have about 300 Starlink satellites in orbit supporting Direct-to-Cell technology. On Friday, the company launched another batch of Direct-to-Cell-enabled satellites, bringing the total number in orbit to more than 200. It is possible that Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell constellation will reach 300 this year, but the service will not launch without FCC approval.
The company is also asking the regulator to ease restrictions on radio emissions to improve coverage and enable real-time video and voice calls. Carriers AT&T and Verizon opposed this, arguing that it would interfere with mobile terrestrial networks.