The collaboration will see the pair test the service to determine whether it’s suitable for “Australian conditions” before it eventually launches commercially.
Telstra said the service would help it provide better coverage “from coast to coast, especially for those in regional and remote areas”.
Subscribe today for free
Unlike traditional telco services, which send signals through cell towers, SpaceX’s Starlink connects devices directly to satellites in Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO).
Telstra aims to offer connectivity to users even in the most remote parts of Australia, a vast country with areas that traditional infrastructure simply cannot reach. According to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, problems with poor mobile coverage were in the top ten issues reported by consumers in all states and territories except for the Australian Capital Territory.
“Satellite-to-mobile will complement our existing land-based mobile network offering basic connectivity where people have never had it before,” said Shailin Sehgal, group executive for global networks and technology at Telstra.
Telstra’s initial tests of the service will focus on messaging with plans to expand it to voice and “low rates of data”.
“Just as mobile networks didn’t replace fibre networks, it’s important to realise the considerable difference between the carrying capacity of satellite versus mobile technology,” Sehgal added.
Telstra joins a host of global operators gearing up to offer direct-to-device connectivity with Starlink, including T-Mobile in the US, and Veon’s Kyivstar in Ukraine.
Other LEO satellite firms want to take on Starlink with direct-to-device services, like Viasat in Saudi Arabia and Lynk Global with Filipino telecom operator Globe.
Amazon is also preparing to compete with Starlink through its Project Kuiper, which aims to launch in the UK by 2027.
RELATED STORIES
Veon and Starlink to deliver direct-to-cell satellite connectivity for Kyivstar customers
T-Mobile unveils Starlink beta for direct-to-cell satellite messaging
Telstra acquires Boost Mobile Australia in deal worth more than $100m
