Featured Image Credit: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Elon Musk has enabled a groundbreaking feature on all iPhones and Androids that could change how we use our devices forever.
The billionaire’s new innovation is making waves in the tech industry for how it’ll change cellular connectivity.
His satellite internet provider, Starlink, will no longer need specialized equipment to make satellite calls around the world.
Instead, users can use the service with just their iPhone or Android smartphone.
Advert
This is called the Direct to Cell service and it means that people should be able to make a phone call from virtually anywhere in the world, even if you have no signal.
SpaceX’s first launch of 2024 deployed our first set of Starlink sats with the Direct to Cell capability to help end cell-phone dead zones. Today, the Direct to Cell constellation is nearly 10x the size of all other operators pursuing a similar capability combined pic.twitter.com/dfwsxvMBDx
— Starlink (@Starlink) December 31, 2024
So, if you find yourself stuck in a very remote location with no service, you might soon be able to connect to Starlink to call someone.
Musk’s internet firm will allow you to make voice calls directly from your device without the need for any modifications, as long as your phone has LTE.
This is said to have the potential to become a game changer in emergency events where people find themselves lost in places like the woods on a mountain hike.
According to Starlink, the service is ‘engineered to eliminate mobile dead zones around the world’.
On the website, it said: “Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities enable ubiquitous access to texting, calling, and browsing wherever you may be on land, lakes, or coastal waters. Direct to Cell will also connect IoT devices with common LTE standards.”
So, how does it work? According to the firm which is owned by SpaceX, Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capability have an advanced eNodeB modem onboard that acts like a cellphone tower in space, allowing network integration similar to a standard roaming partner.
Direct to Cell is currently being rolled out as part of a commercial package in its satellite phone service, although prices have not yet been shared.
People have taken to social media to share their own reactions to the new technology, with many sharing a similar sentiment.
On X, formerly Twitter, one user described the innovation as ‘epic’, while another wrote: “I can’t wait to get my own Starlink connection!!”
A third person said: “Imagine launching over 100 new cell phone towers in space in just half a year. That's what happened! This could mean people in the countryside get better phone service much sooner than we thought.”
And a fourth added: “Unbelievable! Way to powerfully demonstrate leveraging your extraplanetary prowess.”
