Philippine mobile operator Globe Telecom has partnered with SpaceX’s Starlink to roll out “direct-to-cell” satellite connectivity that will allow standard LTE smartphones to send messages and access basic data services in areas beyond reach of traditional cell towers, the company and the government said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing of an agreement between Globe President and CEO Carl Cruz and a Starlink representative at Globe’s headquarters in Taguig City.
The service, expected to start this year, is designed to work with ordinary LTE phones with a view of the sky, enabling messaging and limited data services for apps, including in remote rural and maritime areas.
Globe said the satellite layer could also help keep communications running during typhoons and other disasters when terrestrial networks are damaged.
The partnership targets mobile coverage gaps in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas across the Philippines’ more than 7,600 islands, Globe said, adding it would support access to digital public services and improve disaster resilience.
Starlink’s direct-to-cell offering uses low-Earth orbit satellites to connect phones in areas where traditional coverage is unavailable.
Business News Asia
