Elon Musk’s commercial space flight company SpaceX is reportedly collaborating with chip manufacturers to develop technology that would let smartphones directly access Starlink’s satellite-based internet service.
SpaceX Exploring ‘Direct-To-Device’ Sector
SpaceX is working with chip manufacturers to get “proper chips in phones,” the company’s president, Gwynne Shotwell, said at an event in Paris, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. Satellite-based internet service providers need partnerships with at least one telecom operator with a ground-based spectrum to operate direct-to-device tech, the report suggests.
However, SpaceX’s $17 billion deal with EchoStar Corp SATS to acquire the company’s AWS-4 and H-Block Spectrum licenses could give Starlink and SpaceX more freedom to take on traditional telcos.
“We will be now initiating discussions with telcos in a different way now,” Shotwell said at the event, adding that the company is exploring providing wholesale capacity to telecom operators on its spectrum. SpaceX also aims to launch dedicated satellites to enable the technology.
Elon Musk’s Starlink Plans, Starship Updates
Shotwell’s comments are in line with Musk’s recent comments during an appearance at the All-In Summit. Musk highlighted that SpaceX was working on technology that could provide Starlink connectivity directly to smartphones, but also hinted that SpaceX may buy a telecom carrier in the future.
Musk also recently provided updates on SpaceX’s Starship rocket, sharing that the Starship V3 and V4 rockets would have enhanced payload carrying capacity and would be bigger than the current Starship rocket, which successfully conducted its 10th launch test.
SpaceX’s Golden Dome Credentials, Starlink’s Flight Carrier Deals
SpaceX’s Golden Dome hopes may have also gotten a boost after the company launched over 21 low-Earth orbit satellites for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency. The satellites would help in missile tracking
The satellite deployment follows SpaceX reportedly not being mentioned at a Pentagon briefing to over 3,000 defense contractors about the Golden Dome system, which will reportedly have a four-layer architecture combining space- and ground-based defenses.
Starlink, on the other hand, continues to be an integral part of SpaceX’s plans, with the internet provider being in talks with major Middle Eastern flight carriers to provide its internet services on board the carriers’ flights. Starlink also recently announced it serves over 7 million customers globally.
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