Texting via Satellites

[Paul Thomas]

1 hour ago, toto said:

The interesting thing about charging for this is that Apple has always given mobile carriers some freedom to determine their own fee schedule. But unless the individual carriers are going to work out their own agreements with Globalstar and charge for satellite messaging as part of a mobile service plan, this is going to be a service provided by Apple, with fees paid to Apple - and I could see carriers getting very nervous about that. 

I'm surprised Apple hasn't done an iPhone that works on the Starlink network. Satphone have existed for years, but Starlink is changing the game.

[toto]

1 hour ago, Paul Thomas said:

I'm surprised Apple hasn't done an iPhone that works on the Starlink network. Satphone have existed for years, but Starlink is changing the game.

That’s about to change. T-Mobile is about to support calling via Starlink from an iPhone aiui. 

[Fly Boomer]

10 minutes ago, toto said:

That’s about to change. T-Mobile is about to support calling via Starlink from an iPhone aiui. 

If I read this correctly, it's "T-Mobile For Business".  At least initially.

[EricJ]

5 hours ago, Paul Thomas said:

I'm surprised Apple hasn't done an iPhone that works on the Starlink network. Satphone have existed for years, but Starlink is changing the game.

They're very different approaches, and both have tradeoffs.    Some of the newer Starlink satellites essentially have a cellular basestation in them, so if the Starlink basestation will provision the cell phone, it can connect just like with another base station.   The Starlink philosophy seems to just be to flood space with satellites, which is a little controversial for sure.  There's not really anything fundamental about starlink that hasn't been done elsewhere, they're just flooding the market with it.   I'm not sure how it'll work out long term.   Most of the other comparable satellite systems that still exist are marginally viable mostly because they've been through a round of bankruptcy or two to reset their capital equation.   I'm not sure it'll be any different for Starlink, but time will tell.