Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its first six satellites capable of offering mobile phone service as the company races to bring more connectivity to remote areas. Operating like a cell tower in space, the Starlink satellites work with users’ existing phones, rather than using specialized equipment, to enable text messaging in areas where traditional cell signals are weak or nonexistent. SpaceX will later be able to offer voice and data, said Kate Tice, senior quality systems engineering manager, on a webcast for the launch Tuesday. Called “Direct to Cell,” the company is working with T-Mobile US Inc. in the US, a partnership it announced in 2022. It obtained US approval last month to run the tests. SpaceX will work with other carriers in the rest of the world: Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.’s Optus in Australia, Salt Mobile SA in Switzerland, Rogers Communications Inc. in Canada, One New Zealand Group Ltd. in New Zealand, Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones SA in Chile and Peru and KDDI Corp. in Japan. Starlink is expected to generate about $10 billion of overall sales this year, eclipsing its rocket launch business and accounting for two-thirds of the total, Bloomberg News has reported. Musk is considering an initial public offering for the fast-growing Starlink satellite business as soon as late 2024, according to Bloomberg.

Full report : SpaceX launches its first six Starlink satellites capable of offering mobile phone service, as part of its Direct to Cell service with T-Mobile US.