A cooperation between T-Mobile and SpaceX that would allow cellphones to link directly to satellites was revealed a week ago. Starlink V2 satellites will support this, and because it uses an existing PCS frequency band, existing phones will be compatible.
Hiroshi Lockheimer, the SVP of Platforms & Ecosystems at Google, tweeted that the company is working on integrating satellite communication functionality into the upcoming version of Android (v14). Although the present phone's radio hardware will function, it's not yet known what software changes will be necessary (for example, can Android 13 phones access the satellite network or would Android 14 be needed?).
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The beta testing of the new satellite by T-Mobile and SpaceX is anticipated to begin in late 2023, around the release of Android 14 at that time. Initially only covering the US, but the companies intend to extend the service to include every country.
Although it will be modest (2 to 4 Mbps per cellular zone), that is sufficient for millions of text messages. Not just regular SMS but also MMS and "participating messaging apps" will be supported. Later, voice calls and potentially mobile data support will be included (the usability for general Internet browsing is unknown, but the service should have enough bandwidth for 1-2,000 voice calls, great in cases of emergencies and in remote areas).
