Elon Musk's space company SpaceX has expanded its services to directly connect satellite communications and mobile phones by acquiring wireless frequency bands.
SpaceX announced on the 8th (local time) that it has signed a contract with the U.S. telecommunications service company EchoStar for 50 MHz of wireless frequency bands and a global mobile satellite service (MSS) frequency license.
Bloomberg and other sources reported that SpaceX plans to provide EchoStar with about $17 billion (about 23.6 trillion won) in cash and stock to acquire the wireless frequency bands.
According to the company, SpaceX will develop and deploy the next-generation Starlink satellite network, which directly connects to mobile phones (Direct to Cell), to provide broadband communication and internet services to mobile phones anywhere in the world.
In January last year, SpaceX began deploying Starlink satellites equipped with the 'Direct to Cell' function, which directly connects to mobile phones without separate terminals, aiming to eliminate mobile dead zones globally.
Subsequently, in collaboration with various regional mobile carriers such as T-Mobile in the United States, the service expanded from sending text messages to functions like video calls.
SpaceX reported that currently over 600 first-generation Starlink Direct to Cell satellites are in orbit, providing services to more than 6 million users worldwide.
SpaceX announced plans to design and deploy next-generation Starlink satellites that fully utilize the wireless frequency bandwidth acquired this time, offering dramatically improved proprietary broadband communication services.
The company explained, "In most environments, this will enable complete 5G cellular connectivity that offers an experience similar to current terrestrial LTE services."
It also stated, "Combined with cutting-edge satellite technology, exclusive frequencies, and an unprecedented payload deployment in low orbit with Starship rockets, the next-generation Starlink Direct to Cell service will fill global coverage gaps and ultimately eliminate mobile dead zones."