In the early hours of August 26, SpaceX and T-Mobile announced a collaboration that will revolutionize mobile telephony.
The project, called Coverage Above and Beyond, will combine traditional telephony technology with SpaceX's Starlink network for T-Mobile US customers.
The new generation of Starlink satellites will allow the use of the Starlink service to make calls and send messages even in 'dead areas', i.e. areas where the terrestrial infrastructure does not provide any type of signal. The Beta phase of the program is expected to start at 'end 2023'.
How will it work?
Given the small size, the current Starlink satellites do not have the necessary power to send, and above all to receive, the weak signal of a mobile phone.
For this reason SpaceX is investing in the development of the second generation of Starlink.
The V2 satellites will have a length of about 7 meters and an antenna that will open about 5 m to the side. During the transit the antenna will send and receive data along a focused beam.
In the early stages the service will not provide a broadband connection. In fact, a cell will provide 2 to 4 megabits of data, enough to send millions of messages and make thousands of calls.
When a phone is in an area with no range, it will attract the nearest satellite signal. This service is designed, above all, to provide users with a telephone connection with emergency services in rural areas or in areas affected by environmental disasters, where traditional connections are not available and/or usable.
The problems to face
"These are the most advanced antennas in the world, we think. They must pick up a very quiet signal from your cell phone." Musk said. This is in fact one of the main 'challenges' of the service.
The very low signal of the mobile phone must reach a satellite that is about 800 km high and travels at a speed of about 7 km per second. The satellite must also compensate for the Doppler effect, i.e. the change in frequency or wavelength, caused by movement in the sky.
Another problem to address is the launch of the Starlink V2 satellites. Given the size, in fact, the satellites will not enter the fairings of a Falcon 9 and will have to wait for Starship to become operational.
In case of rocket delays, SpaceX could develop the 'mini' version of the Starlink V2 satellites that could fit the Falcon fairings.