A press conference has now been scheduled for tomorrow night at 8 p.m. ET from Starbase, SpaceX’s Texas development facility. Without offering any additional information, SpaceX stated that the conference’s goal is to present plans to improve communication.
There are several ways in which SpaceX and T-Mobile could collaborate to increase connectivity in both urban and rural locations. Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, opened the news conference by saying, “This is something extraordinary.”
So what kind of cooperation may this be? One possibility is a transportable Starlink device that might switch between a 5G cellular connection in more populated locations and a Starlink connection in more remote ones. The router would connect to 5G connectivity when available and use Starlink as a backup, giving users the best of both worlds. This might result in less traffic being delivered over the satellite network by each user, allowing a greater number of users to access the service overall. Starlink is designed for rural areas, but 5G, notably the fastest 5G mmWave, has a restricted range and performs best in densely populated areas close to cell towers.
Starlink can already be utilized in numerous locations thanks to SpaceX’s Starlink for RV product, however it cannot be used while moving. The dual connectivity of cellular and satellite service could be advantageous for a similar device designed for permanent installation on a vehicle. This could help combat the speed drops that some early Starlink users have noticed as more and more people sign up for the service.
There is also a possibility that this collaboration will work the other way around, with T-Mobile using Starlink to deliver 5G access in rural areas without any other high-speed options. Others have noted that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 14 event , which will be released on September 7, also contains an space theme to its invitation , and they have speculated that this could be the company that is striving to make direct Starlink satellite connections available for phones.
The timing of this announcement coincides with SpaceX’s modification of its second-generation Starlink satellites for launches on Falcon 9 spacecraft in addition to their initially anticipated Starship missions. Musk described described the version one Starlink satellites as having bad financial standing while praising the version two. The installation of V2 Starlink satellites may be what enables Starlink to serve as a backhaul for T-Mobile. The version two satellites will assist in handling the capacity of a rising internet service provider.
But as of right moment, nothing has been officially stated. Do you have any theories about what this collaboration might be? Tell us in the comments section below.
