TAMPA, Fla. — SpaceX’s IPO prospectus casts Starlink Mobile as more than a remote-area backup, with next-generation direct-to-smartphone services designed to be “on par with terrestrial mobile networks” even in urban areas.
The company’s May 20 regulatory filing outlined how upgraded satellites and the spectrum it is acquiring from U.S.-based EchoStar would greatly improve services currently limited to messaging and light voice and data services.
“While we expect Starlink Mobile service today to be most impactful for customers in remote areas uncovered by terrestrial mobile networks, as our constellation grows and our product performance continues to improve, we will compete to be the preferred connectivity experience to our customers no matter where they are located,” SpaceX said, “whether in rural, suburban, or urban areas.”
That ambition contrasts with a more cautious view from telcos, including anchor mobile network operator (MNO) partner T-Mobile, which provides the wireless spectrum Starlink Mobile satellites currently use to plug terrestrial coverage gaps across the United States.
Satellite represented 0.0002% of total network usage in May, T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan said May 18 during the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference, concentrated in national parks.
