Starlink to mobile phones
Equipment
It looks like soon. Starlink will connect your cell phone to the network in areas with no service. Will this replace the need for devices such as Inreach and Sat phones?
Does anyone know if this will be a seamless service that is included with your cell phone plan or will you need to pay a subscription to have it or pay per use?
I have been wanting this for a while now! I already have Starlink internet at my house and really like it.
"Will this replace the need for devices such as Inreach and Sat phones?"
Sat phones, yes. Inreach, mostly...though I still like the thought of having an Inreach with the SOS button handy. Basically would let you get away with the most basic of service plans for the inReach IMO.
I'm with T-Mobile. Several times lately in the mountains when no service I've seen a little satellite icon where the service bar is, however have not been able to make a text or call go through.
Why would the inreach SOS function work better than an iPhones SOS function? They’d be able to voicecall you on the latter and get way better information.
This will completely replace all inreach and sat phones in the next 5 years is my guess.
Is iPhone SOS satellite-powered? Last year I spent more time hunting for cell phone signal than I did hunting for elk, or so it seemed when I was up there by myself… But the whole time I had SOS coverage and this year, I told my family not to expect to hear from me During the day because I just don’t have time to deal with that. My brother is just about to pull the trigger on an in-reach or a Garmin mini whatever-it-is because we’ll be in a unit without cell service…. But if we’re already covered, we’re already covered…
I agree with Trevor, I bet all carriers/phones will be integrated in 5 years and Garmin is gonna be all but obsolete.
—Jim
"Why would the inreach SOS function work better than an iPhones SOS function?"
I don't believe it will. I just like having redundant means of communication/signaling.
Google says it will be included with your plan
Using it right now in Colorado.
To bad T mobile sucks but thats what I have. I've had starlink for a few years and recently installed on my boat.It is a game changer offshore.I was in the bahamas half the spring and summer and never go without wifi.Connect to your phone and wifi calling works anywhere and texting is no problem.Cost is high now but will go down.
Charlie are you connected to starlink modem in camp. Or are you using it direct from the satellite to your phone via T-mobile?
They have Starlink on Hawaiian Airlines planes now. Best I've seen by far. You can talk on the phone with it but is highly discouraged. Haha
The last I heard was everything is ready to roll but the feds are holding things up. You know typical gov bullsh!t.
We used Starlink in the middle of Chewore South Zimbabwe in June. Amazing service.
Very, very remote area
Starlink has coverage all the way across the atlantic now.Bahamas to bermuda or east coast to bermuda.Next Bermuda the Azores then to the Med etc.. You see all the youtubers now adding content from the middle of the Atlantic.
Check out the Starlink Mini. Portable and less cost - [but limited to only 50GB/mo]
The mini does not look all that “mini” to me! And you can use as much as you want for $150/mo. The 50gb is their basic plan for $50/mo.
—Jim
I have tmobile and use Starlink (not mini) on Roam service and it works great as long as you are in range.......about 100' or so I think. Not sure if OP means they are going to somehow allow a cell phone to work on starlink without the router and dish....that seems a stretch to me. maybe if Starlink made its own phone and could really shrink the components to link to sats.....but again that seems a stretch. I think starlink connecting to phones is here and now though with the existing system. I can wifi call and surf the inet anyway.
Jordon you might try reading the attached article
This has nothing to do with the new T-Mobile plan being discussed but for those considered Starlink roaming plans just be aware that unless you pay for the expensive priority data plan you can experience pretty slow speeds during peak times. Roaming plans are deprioritized during peak data usage such as in the early evening, say from 5:00 to 9:00. The same isn’t the case with fixed residential plans. I’ve been using Starlink roaming service for the past two years in my motorhome and there are times the speed is so slow it’s difficult to get much use out of it. The high priority plans take care of this but start at $250 per month and only give you 50GB of data then you pay by the GB after that. During a 3 month trip earlier this year my bill averaged $400 per month for the priority plan so the next trip I’ll probably opt for the slower, unlimited, $150 per month plan and deal with slower speeds during peak hours.
$400 per month is actually a bargain. That will get more affordable. We are getting closer and closer to practical satellite communications.
It wasn’t that long ago (several decades) this was only available to the military. And before that only members of small intelligence agencies and military units.
Thanks JMC.......I rarely read links......Elon says alot of crap and little of it comes to fruit but what does is pretty amazing. I still don't see how a phone is going to be able to connect to a Starlink satellite without a dish to capture the feed and route it to the device. If you don't have cell service then it can't be fed that way......it will be very interesting to see what they come up with....if they come up with it.
"The select satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities feature a modem functioning as a cell tower in space, aiming to provide users with global access to texting, calling, and internet browsing using standard LTE phones, without requiring additional hardware, software, or apps."
I wonder if these are only on new sats or if that capability was built into the original gens......or maybe we will get a t-mobile starlink tin foil hat to wear......
If this comes to fruitition....and you can BET t-mobile and starlink will have this as an add on service with FEES..........it would directly compete with the starlink roam service so maybe the cost will come down. That would be nice.
Jordan,
The link discusses the satellite to phone communications. The new satellites with the capability have already been launched.
“SpaceX now has 160 Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities in orbit and T-Mobile will have no more dead zones in the U.S. later this year, thanks to Starlink access, SpaceX senior director of Satellite Engineering Ben Longmier said.”
damn....I was hoping for the hat.........
You can still wear the hat. Here’s one that’d look good on you!
Phones have had GPS receivers for sometime already.It's just that the satelites weren't compatible with the phone other than location.The starlink plans are great but yes it's expensive for above the basic plan.My plan is $1000 per month for I think its unlimited usage but its worth every penny.Foreign travel and cell service is more expensive.Combine what'sapp and wifi calling and the acual call is free.You don't have to stay on the $1000 per month either you can go basic and then add the high use plan when needed.
I bet you get a really awesome satellite dish hat for $1000/month
As useful as it is for hunting season, I'm in the "makes me feel sad" boat. There truly is nowhere above ground anymore to truly "get away" on earth.
