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Starlink Mobile brings satellite links to Italy’s 4G phones
SpaceX is piloting Starlink Mobile in Italy with Fastweb+Vodafone, letting standard 4G phones connect to satellites where mobile coverage is missing.
Image: iXBT
SpaceX has announced a pilot launch of Starlink Mobile in Italy, aiming to let owners of standard 4G smartphones connect to a satellite network in places with no terrestrial mobile coverage. The company has signed an agreement with Fastweb+Vodafone, and says users will not need a new SIM card or any special hardware.
The first test area will be the Apennine Mountains in central Italy, where difficult terrain and low population density make traditional mobile infrastructure expensive and hard to build. If the trial succeeds, the service is expected to expand to other hard-to-reach parts of the country.
The key part of Direct to Cell is that Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit act like cellular base stations. According to the announcement, phones will switch automatically from a standard mobile network to the satellite link when needed.
At the first stage, the service will support messaging, including SMS and MMS, along with internet services and apps such as WhatsApp and Google Maps. For now, though, the technology does not support regular voice calls, including emergency calls made over the satellite network. That means people in remote areas will still need terrestrial coverage or dedicated satellite phones for voice communication.
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Culture Editor
Maya explores gaming, streaming, and the internet as a place where people actually live. From deep-dives into creator economies to the anthropology of digital communities, she tracks platform drama and cultural shifts so you don't have to. She believes the best tech stories are fundamentally about human behavior.
via iXBT
