Starlink's first "cell towers in space" for T-Mobile USA and Salt in Switzerland already in place

SpaceX has launched the first 21 satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO), which can be used by conventional smartphones as "cell towers in space". The constellation of these LTE-capable satellites is still very small, but will still allow tests to be carried out. 

Starlink has numerous partners for its project, which is intended to enable mobile phone reception in large dead spots far beyond terrestrial cell towers by 2025. One of the largest partners is Deutsche Telekom and its US subsidiary T-Mobile. Telekom had already presented its plans in detail at MWC 2023, even if some questions still remained unanswered. SpaceX has a total of seven network operators worldwide on its list that will use Starlink's "Direct to Cell".

In Europe, no one other than Swiss network operator Salt is currently part of the Starlink constellation. In North America, Rogers will be the network operator for Canada. In South America, Entel will be active in Chile and Peru. There are also network operators in Japan (KDDI), Australia (Optus) and New Zealand (One NZ).

As is already known, normal LTE phones will be able to connect to the satellites without any changes to hardware or firmware. In a way, they act as (national) roaming partners. SpaceX promises not only texting, but also calling and internet browsing. However, as things currently stand, these will be activated in stages. As a first step, users will be able to send text messages from various dead spots.

Operationality is expected this year, with numerous direct-to-cell satellites to be put into orbit to ensure comprehensive global coverage. The first calls and surfing are planned for 2025.