Telstra has announced it will be bringing satellite coverage for Telstra customers across Australia so they will have a connection in some of most remote parts of the country.
The collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink will initially focus on providing Satellite-to-mobile text messaging capabilities.
Telstra says it will start testing and refining the technology and its capabilities in the toughest Australia conditions before it is officially launched for customers.
When it is operational Telstra customers will be able to send and receive SMS messages on compatible smartphones in most areas of Australia where there is a direct line sight to the sky.
“This new technology is particularly relevant for Telstra customers that live or travel outside our leading mobile network in regional and remote parts of the country,” says Telstra Group Executive of Global Network and Technology, Shailin Sehgal.
“Technology is always evolving and we’re committed to staying at the forefront of innovation so that we can continue to bring the best connectivity experience for our customers.
“This includes collaborating with global leaders like Starlink to extend our reach and add new coverage to customers in regional and remote parts of Australia.
“Satellite-to-Mobile is still an emerging technology and, together with Starlink, we have the best engineering minds collaborating on how satellite and mobile technology can work together to pioneer a new connectivity option for Australians.
“Telstra already has the largest and most reliable mobile network in Australia covering 99.7 per cent of the Australian population over an area of 3 million square kilometres, which is more than 1 million square kilometres greater than our nearest competitor.
“But Australia’s landmass is vast and there will always be large areas where mobile and fixed networks do not reach, and this is where satellite technology will play a complementary role to our existing networks.”
Satellite-To-Mobile is a significant change for Australian customers where more than 60 per cent of the country’s landmass has no cellular coverage.
As the satellite technology continues to grow and evolve, it will eventually become possible to support voice calls, data and IoT anywhere in Australia.
In 2023, Telstra became the first provider to offer Starlink to customers for voice only and voice plus broadband services.