Australia’s largest telecommunications provider, Telstra, has announced they will join Optus in leveraging SpaceX’s Starlink services to enhance consumer and business offerings.
Typically Starlink has required the use of dishes, initially a round dish, which was later replaced by a rectangular dish, which was then improved on with Starlink Mini, one that is small enough to travel with you in a backpack.
The company wasn’t done there, adding a new generation Low-Earth Orbit Satellite, this time much larger in size, that could communicate to a regular smartphone.
This is revolutionary and unlocks connectivity on planet Earth to almost anywhere that has a view to the sky.
Initial implementations are designed for low bandwidth implementations, however this will grow over time.
When Optus announced they’d be the first telco in Australia (back in August 2022), they announced the use of Starlink to Mobile services including Text Messaging, with Voice and Basic data to follow.
While the plan was to launch this before the end of 2024, I understand this hasn’t yet arrived.
Telstra (link)
Today, Telstra’s announcement was similar, offering text messaging first, but further down the announcement highlights that future improvements will include commercial services including Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
This technology will continue to mature and will initially support sending and receiving text messages, and in the longer term, voice and low speed data to smartphones across Australia when outdoors with a clear line of site to the sky.
We’ll look at the consumer benefits in a moment, but this suggestion that Starlink will support commercial IoT devices is perhaps one of the biggest sleeper opportunities of Starlink that nobody is talking about.
Across the world, businesses, utilities, Government agencies are all adding intelligent devices to their infrastructure and services. These provide data to the business to power business decisions, reporting, customer experiences, bill customers and more.
There are some real challenges in rolling out IoT devices on 4G/5G and even on specialised protocols like NB-IoT. As good as our modern telco networks are and as comprehensive as the coverage maps indicate internet coverage is, the reality is quite different.
Australia is a massive country and while populated areas get decent coverage, the unpopulated areas still experience very poor or no connectivity.
Starlink to Mobile, or Starlink to IoT has an amazing opportunity to simply drop a device at a location, with view to the sky, a power source (grid connected or solar and battery) and have that device communicate it’s data to the internet via Starlink.
Businesses will run to this, assuming Telstra and others don’t charge exorbitant rates for the privilege.
Direct-to-Device Messaging: A Game Changer for Remote Areas
Telstra, Australia’s leading telco, is diving headfirst into this venture by initially focusing on Satellite-to-Mobile text messaging. This service promises to extend coverage beyond Telstra’s already impressive 99.7% population coverage, which spans over three million square kilometers.
“This technology will create a future where basic connectivity becomes possible from some of Australia’s most remote locations.”
– Shailin Sehgal, Telstra’s Group Executive of Global Networks and Technology
What’s particularly exciting for users is that this service will leverage technology already present in modern smartphones, eliminating the need for special handsets.
This initiative is not just about expanding coverage but about enhancing the quality of life for those living off the beaten path.
Beyond Text: The Promise of IoT and More
But the real kicker here is Telstra’s foresight into the future of connectivity. They’re not stopping at texting; the press release explicitly mentions that “as satellite technology continues to evolve to support voice, data and IoT, we will explore opportunities for the commercial launch of those new services.”
This opens up a plethora of possibilities for IoT in commercial settings, from agriculture to mining, where reliable connectivity can revolutionize operations, safety, and efficiency.
Imagine sensors in remote fields communicating back to the farm, or machinery in the outback being monitored and controlled in real-time.
Telstra’s commitment to IoT via Starlink could significantly enhance Australia’s industrial capabilities, providing a robust backbone for the Internet of Things where traditional networks fall short.
