SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Tuesday that its Starlink satellite internet service will allow for emergency services to be accessed on mobile phones for “people in distress” around the globe.
What Happened: Musk said that the service will not cost the user and will apply worldwide, subject to approval by country governments.
“After thinking it through, SpaceX Starlink will provide emergency services access for mobile phones for people in distress for free…Can't have a situation where someone dies because they forgot or were unable to pay for it,” Musk wrote on social media platform X. It is unclear how the CEO categorizes “people in distress.”
In a letter to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) last week, SpaceX said that Starlink can provide Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to everyone in areas where there is no terrestrial coverage. WEA is a public safety system that allows customers who own compatible mobile devices to receive geographically targeted, text-like messages alerting them of imminent threats to safety in their area. They have been used to warn the public about dangerous weather or even missing children.
The capability, Musk said on Tuesday, will help people if they are stranded in the wilderness.
Why It Matters: SpaceX has launched over 6,900 Starlink satellites to orbit, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell. Of these satellites, about 6,300 are in orbit and nearly 130 are satellites equipped with direct-to-cell capabilities.
Each of these satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities features a modem functioning as a cell tower in space, aiming to provide users with global access to texting, calling, and internet browsing using standard LTE phones, without requiring additional hardware, software, or apps.
T-Mobile and SpaceX announced a partnership in August 2022 aiming to connect the smartphones on T-Mobile's network to Starlink satellites. The partnership is aimed at providing connectivity to remote locations that are untouched by cell signals from any provider.
Other cellular providers to have signed similar partnerships with SpaceX include Optus from Australia, Rogers from Canada, and KDDI in Japan.
SpaceX plans to roll out texting services with the help of the satellites by the end of 2024, followed by voice calls, data, and internet-of-things (IoT) services in 2025.
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Photo courtesy: SpaceX
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