Starlink and T-Mobile drop a tactical nuke on Verizon and ATT

[Isaac-1]

They are actually talking about more than basic text messaging, though they are starting with just text, the talk is about limited data (sending photos, etc.) as well as voice calls with each satellite being able to handle a couple of thousand voice calls when it is overhead. Though this is still likely on the order of a couple of thousand calls going on at once across an area measured in dozens to hundreds of miles. So probably enough capacity if you are on a sailboat in the middle of the ocean, where it gets more questionable is if you are one of the roughly 30,000 visitors per day to Yellowstone where there is currently at best limited cell coverage, or on the gulf coast after a major hurricane hits and wipes out all the cell towers.

[smiller]

Musk is talking about a lot of things, as he likes to do

The V2 satellites are too heavy for the current Falcon 9 and will require the Starship booster, which so far has made several good fireworks displays but has yet to fly. It will though, and while the V2 satellites are much larger and heavier (4x vs. v1.5) they are also much more capable and higher capacity so in the end more cost effective.

But bottom line the odds of them meeting the 'end-of-next year' schedule seems just about nil, although eventually it will happen.

[smiller]

And this may have something to do with the timing of the SpaceX announcement.

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/08/26...tellite-rumor/

It's no secret that Globalstar and Apple have been working on this for some time. There are many significant technical differences between the two approaches, Globalstar will use band n53 which is already allocated for Earth/Space and supported by the latest Qualcomm modem chipsets, so with a firmware change many late-model phones would be compatible (although if Apple is involved you can bet that the system will be iPhone-only for now.) SpaceX will use a PCS band that any phone can support, but will probably be at least a year behind Globalstar/Apple. Capabilities between the two systems will also likely be different but of course no one knows to what extent because neither have announced exactly what functions will be supported.

[scotttkd]

Cost is another factor, as one of the main issues with current sat phone technology is the ludicrous high price for service. I cant see that model changing much using the existing technology and providers. They are going to need to invent a new category of service to offer in order to compete. What T-mobile and Starlink are doing is marrying up existing technologies, albeit with some very new sophisticated antenna technology. Bottom line and the tactical nuke I see is the ability to do this at such a low cost to the consumer compared to the competitors trying to get into the game. T-Mobile offering it for free in their most common packages is a hard price point to beat. Starlink is already launching sats into orbit, they are just adding technology to address the cellular side of communications. And yes I know they are much heavier/pricier but Starlink will now be supplementing its launch costs with T-mobile revenue. Pretty genius in my opinion.

[az99]

They better put up a lot of satellites if they are going to cover all of the T-Mobile dead spots.

[Isaac-1]

Given that Starlink currently operates the majority of functional satellites in Earth orbit, and are just getting started with about 50 more scheduled to launch in a few hours, they are already well on their way to doing that.

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Originally Posted by Isaac-1

Given that Starlink currently operates the majority of functional satellites in Earth orbit, and are just getting started with about 50 more scheduled to launch in a few hours, they are already well on their way to doing that.

https://satellitemap.space/

One of several (I'm sure you have a favorite) maps, it's been couple months since viewing this one. In that time SpaceX has orbited 402, of which 347 are active, and burned 2. The map looks a lot more cluttered.

Over 3000 in orbit, about 2400 in service. In about 2 years.

I'm in agreement with whoever said it'll take a lot of satellites to fix the TMobile dead zones.

[astrocamper]

The value for me would be having emergency text communications in areas that will never see cell coverage in the Great Basin or when backpacking in the Sierras.

I have a Garmin Inreach that I activate when taking longer remote backpacking trips.

[AnotherMike]

Originally Posted by RVFunlovers

I don’t see how my iphone on T-Mo, or ATT, or VZ (Same phone) can work off a Satellite.

Maybe when it is connected to wifi from a Satellite fed router….

I've used my ham radio walkie talkie (1 watt on a small antenna) to talk to the ham radio operators on the International Space Station twice. Yes, it took a tracking program on my desktop computer to tell me when it was due to be overhead, and it was a short conversation as they traveled horizon to horizon, but it can be done.

Mike

[shootist]

VoIP has already replaced a lot of cell communication so there is no difference in a phone call vs a text. Only more data. Texts have always been changed to an email by your provider and changed back at the receiving provider. It's hilarious to watch computer nerds change their tv channels by sending code from their cell phone. Somehow they bypass the carriers change over and go straight to Alexis via a code laden text message.

[Mile Marker 42]

Has anyone here in an urban area ditched the big carrier like Cox for Starlink? It is available in my area and I am tired of Cox.