2024-01-11 16:47:30
The space company SpaceX has just tested a new communication technology called Direct to cell, allowing you to connect your smartphone directly to a satellite. Monday January 8, 2024, the company announced on X (formerly Twitter) that it had successfully sent and received the very first SMS thanks to this system called direct-to-device (D2D), reports CNBC .
This performance comes barely a week after the launch of the first six satellites equipped with this technology. Its ambition is to ensure a continuous connection on all phones, regardless of where you are, and thus put an end to white zones, specifies for its part Lemon Squeezer .
Calls and data sharing in 2025
SpaceX had already launched its Starlink satellite connection system, with 5,000 devices in orbit and more than 2.3 million customers worldwide. But this requires the installation of specific equipment. However, D2D technology could work on any device equipped with at least the 4G network, without intermediate hardware.
The company said there is strong demand to integrate it with Starlink. The service is planned for large-scale deployment in 2024. Next year, Elon Musk’s company will expand this technology to voice calls, data sharing as well as connected objects.
According to CNBC, several smartphone manufacturers and satellite companies have already joined forces to set up similar services. This is what Apple did, in collaboration with the operator Globalstar, to launch its satellite emergency call system on its iPhone 14s. But again, this service required special equipment, recalls Lemon Squeezer.
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