SpaceX Managing Director Elon Musk said on Tuesday that its Starlink satellite internet service would enable “people in need” around the world to access emergency services via mobile phones.
What happened: Musk said the service would be free for users and would be available worldwide, subject to approval by respective governments.
“After careful consideration, SpaceX Starlink will provide access to cellular phones for emergency services at no cost to people in need… We cannot have someone die because they forgot or couldn’t pay for it,” Musk wrote on the social media platform X. It is unclear how the CEO categorizes “people in need.”
In a letter to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) last week, SpaceX explained that Starlink can send Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to anyone in areas without terrestrial coverage. WEA is a public safety system that allows customers with compatible mobile devices to receive geo-targeted, text-like messages warning them of imminent safety threats in their area. These have already been used to warn the public of dangerous weather or even missing children.
This feature, Musk said on Tuesday, will help people if they are stranded in the wilderness.
Why it is important: SpaceX has launched over 6,900 Starlink satellites into orbit, according to astronomers Jonathan McDowellOf these satellites, about 6,300 are in orbit and nearly 130 are satellites equipped with direct-to-cell capabilities.
Each of these satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities carries a modem that acts as a cell tower in space and is designed to give users worldwide access to texting, calling and browsing the web using standard LTE phones without the need for additional hardware, software or apps.
T-Mobile and SpaceX announced a partnership in August 2022 to connect smartphones on T-Mobile’s network to Starlink satellites. The goal of the partnership is to provide connectivity to remote locations untouched by other carriers’ cellular signals.
Other mobile operators that have signed similar partnerships with SpaceX include Australia’s Optus, Canada’s Rogers and Japan’s KDDI.
SpaceX plans to use the satellites to launch text messaging services by the end of 2024, followed by voice calls, data and Internet of Things (IoT) services in 2025.
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Photo courtesy: SpaceX
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