This was reported by The Verge, according to a report from Ukrinform.

The website, which was launched earlier this week, says that the service will be limited to text messages in 2024, while voice and data features and file transfer features will come in 2025.

“Direct to Cell works with existing LTE phones anywhere you can see the sky. No changes to hardware, firmware, or special apps required,” SpaceX says on its website.

Elon Musk’s company, together with its American partner T-Mobile, announced its plans for this service last year. The service is likely to be relatively slow by terrestrial standards, between two and four megabits per second, but its advantage will be the breadth of coverage.

Satellite communications have become a growing trend for smartphones in recent years. Last year, Apple added Emergency SOS to its phones, which allows iPhone 14 and newer devices to send limited messages and location information via satellite in emergency situations. Meanwhile, satellite company AST SpaceMobile announced last month that it made its first 5G satellite call from an unmodified smartphone.

As Ukrinform reported, on October 5, the American company SpaceX launched 22 more Starlink internet satellites into orbit.

Photo: “The Verge”