T-Mobile CEO and President Mike Sievert and SpaceX CEO ,Chief Engineer Elon Musk. Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities.

SpaceX has achieved another feat, but this time not via rockets but wireless data transfers from the sky. CEO Elon Musk recently shared an update about peak download speeds of 17Mb/s from a Starlink satellite to an unmodified Samsung Android phone.

Elon Musk, CEO of both ventures, took to X (formerly Twitter) which he also owns to share the news.

SpaceX just achieved peak download speed of 17Mb/s from satellite direct to unmodified Samsung Android phone pic.twitter.com/JqPHmkriv0

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 2, 2024
The tweet reads: “SpaceX just achieved peak download speed of 17Mb/s from satellite direct to unmodified Samsung Android phone”. 


“That’s incredible…. Fixed wireless networks need to be looking over their shoulders?” commented one user. Musk’s reply was measured: “No, because this is the current peak speed per beam and the beams are large, so this system is only effective where there is no existing cellular service.”

SpaceX and T-Mobile: Partnerships are key
This revolutionary technology functions in collaboration with wireless providers. SpaceX and T-Mobile have already announced a groundbreaking partnership to leverage satellite connectivity. Musk’s vision is to eliminate dead zones worldwide, offering an alternative where terrestrial cell towers don’t reach.

The latest breakthrough follows SpaceX’s successful transmission of the first text message and tweet using Starlink’s ‘Direct-to-Cell’ (DTC) satellite. 

The Elon Musk-led SpaceX aims to offer global cell phone service and plans to launch its Direct to Cell service for customers later this year. Musk retweeted SpaceX’s post, adding that no special equipment, other than a mobile phone and a satellite, was used for connectivity.

On January 8, SpaceX’s Starlink successfully transmitted and received the first text messages via T-Mobile’s network spectrum using their new Direct-to-Cell (DTC) satellites. Earlier on January 2, SpaceX launched 21 Starlink satellites with the new DTC feature that enables mobile phones to connect directly to satellites. 

With the DTC feature, voice, text, and data services can be provided to remote areas without ground infrastructure. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved this project as a pilot program, and SpaceX aims to provide internet access to smartphones in the US using T-Mobile’s spectrum.

Connecting standard cell phones directly to satellites posed unique challenges, primarily due to the satellites’ high speeds relative to stationary ground towers. SpaceX engineers overcame these obstacles with sophisticated antennas and cutting-edge software algorithms, making the impossible… possible.

Global ‘Direct-to-Cell’ phone service
SpaceX envisions a future where everyone can use their phones without specialized equipment, regardless of location. While still in development, Starlink’s DTC service aims to provide voice, text, and data in the most remote corners of the globe, where cellular infrastructure isn’t an option.

Starlink has rapidly forged alliances with global telecom giants like T-Mobile, Rogers, Optus, One New Zealand, KDDI, Salt, and Entel, extending the reach of its revolutionary service across multiple continents.