SpaceX plans to start operating as a mobile telephony provider at the beginning of 2028.
In itself, that is not a strange statement. But the way this is supposed to take shape has caught the interest of the telecoms world.
During a Goldman Sachs meeting, SpaceX’s chief financial officer Bret Johnsen said that the infrastructure for this is being built and that the necessary approval from the US government has been obtained to offer 5G-like services under the Starlink label.
The necessary satellites will be launched next year, after which the first services in the US will start in the first half of 2028. Interested users will not need a different mobile phone there.
Johnsen said that the long-term plan is to provide global coverage, global roaming, and prices that are equal to or lower than those of the established providers.
The outgoing chief financial officer of T-Mobile US believes that the ambition is not technically feasible. Satellites are far too far away from phones to match the services of terrestrial providers. Consultancy firm Strand Consult also believes that, regardless of the approach, it is too expensive to build.
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