Australia's Telstra ties up with Musk's StarLink for remote area connectivity

Telstra, Australia’s top telecom service provider, on Thursday announced a collaboration with Elon Musk’s StarLink, to bring satellite-to-mobile phone connectivity to provide connectivity to customers in remote regions.

Telstra said the collaboration with SpaceX's Starlink, which will begin on a trial basis, will initially test the feasibility of satellite-to-mobile phone text messaging, especially in remote regions of Australia, ahead of a commercial launch.

StarLink is a constellation of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites that offer direct-to-cell services that can reach even the most remote areas, enabling people to connect via smartphones from anywhere.

Telsta already covers 99.7 per cent of Australian consumers across an area of 3 million sq km and a direct-to-handset link will help the telco reach 100 per cent of Australia’s 26 million people, the company said.

Australia’s vast 7.6 million sq km landmass leaves large areas uninhabited and devoid of mobile or fixed telecom networks and satellite technology can help bridge the gap, Telstra said.

Earlier, in 2023, Telstra had signed an agreement with StarLink to offer voice and voice-plus-broadband services in rural and remote areas of Australia.

Telstra said the tie-up with StarLink will not limit its network expansion, adding that it has invested A$11.8 billion ($7.3 billion) in its national mobile network infrastructure during the past seven financial years.