Starlink quadruples promised direct-to-cell download speed in data transfer tests

During the presentation with which Elon Musk announced the upcoming SpaceX direct-to-cell service and the partnership with T-Mobile to cover its so-called dead network spaces, he mentioned a possible 2-4 Mbps download speeds range. 

The service is undergoing testing now, and the first tweet that went from a Starlink satellite directly to a phone on the ground was recently popularized by SpaceX.

Now Elon Musk posted the data download speed during the testing phase, and the screenshot shows 16.9 Mbps of throughput.

Starlink download speeds with Verizon Samsung phone

This is more than four times the speeds suggested in 2022 when Elon Musk and T-Mobile's engineering chief did the "Coverage above and beyond" service presentation. While peak Starlink download speeds from a single test are only indicative of the actual operational capabilities of the upcoming satellite coverage, they were achieved with a run of the mill Samsung Galaxy S21 phone.

The serial number showed on Elon Musk's screenshot belongs to the Verizon version of a 128GB Galaxy S21 handset in a Phantom silver color. Since the "Coverage above and beyond" initiative of T-Mobile hangs on some mid-band frequency swap between SpaceX and the Un-carrier, it is interesting that a Verizon phone has also been used in the testing phase to hit the 17 Mbps speeds.

Some of the new Starlink V2 satellites that are currently launching into orbit are equipped with an antenna dedicated to the direct-to-cell services that SpaceX will be providing to buying customers like T-Mobile.

At some point they will be able to provide emergency calls, texts, or tweets in dead coverage zones and out in the open water.

As the latest test that Elon Musk posted shows, even some video streaming could be possible if there aren't all that many users in those dead spaces at the same time. The SpaceX CEO clarified that "this is the current peak speed per beam and the beams are large, so this system is only effective where there is no existing cellular service."

Get the new Starlink Standard Kit dish at Best Buy