Elon Musk’s Starlink not working on ‘smartphone’, but may bring direct-to-device internet globally

On Thursday (February 5), Reuters reported that the Elon Musk-owned Starlink is working on a phone that would be connect to internet directly from satellites and also direct-to-device internet services.

A potential new flagship phone from Starlink sparked a lot of frenzy on social media platforms. Many believed this will kick off a new revolution in the smartphone industry, which for several years hasn’t seen much radical innovation other than foldable display. It has been just incremental upgrades in processing power and camera hardware.

Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived as Musk on the X platform revealed that Starlink has no immediate plans of bringing any new branded phone yet.

However, Musk did not respond on direct-to-device internet services. Recent reports have suggested that SpaceX-owned subsidiary is in talks with Apple for direct satellite connectivity with iPhones.

Direct-to-device internet services offered by T-Mobile in collaboration with Starlink has gained a lot of the traction in the US, as it doesn’t require new component placement in smartphones. And, it offers seamless internet connectivity in remotest regions.

Even in India, state-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is offering similar D2D in select regions.

BSNL is collaborating with Viasat. The latter operates geostationary L-band satellites, which orbit the Earth at a little over 36,000 km in space.

For now, only SMS is being offered. It has plans to expand the service for making calls and even UPI-enabled transactions in the near future.

Elon Musk’s Starlink is also poised to make its debut in India soon, as it has received statutory approvals to offer satellite-based broadband services. 

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