- #1,016
mfb
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Satellite-based cellphone coverage is becoming reality. The bandwidth will be tiny, but good enough to send text messages. That's all you need e.g. in an emergency. Maybe phone calls will work, too. Satellites don't have dead spots and text messages don't need non-stop connection, so even a few of them can provide emergency services everywhere (with regulatory approval in that country). No extra hardware required, current phones already have everything that's needed.
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A bit over three days until the launch of Artemis-1.
- Lynk Global launched a few test satellites and wants to launch thousands of satellites in the future.
- BlueWalker 3 by AST SpaceMobile will launch September 7. It's massive when unfolded. After this prototype the company wants to launch about 240 (even larger) operational satellites. It's not yet clear how customers will get access to these two services - it's likely they will cooperate with local phone carriers, country by country.
- T-Mobile (US) and SpaceX announced a cooperation to use a small part of T-Mobile's spectrum on Starlink satellites. They want to start a beta test in late 2023 with the first next-generation ("v2") Starlink satellites. Here is the announcement. The same satellites can be used in other countries as well, pending approval and cooperation with some local carrier.
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A bit over three days until the launch of Artemis-1.