The Galaxy S21 Ultra was used to test the Starlink satellite service

Starlink service, developed by SpaceX, reached a peak download speed of 17 Mbps when testing communication with satellites using a smartphone Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. This was announced by the head of SpaceX Elon Musk in his tweet.

Here's What We Know

A search for the serial number of the phone mentioned in Elon Musk's tweet revealed that the phone is probably Verizon's version of the Galaxy S21 Ultra. This phone doesn't have any special hardware to connect to satellites for calls and messages. This testing began a couple of months ago when the company partnered with T-Mobile to create a telecoms service satellite phone for calls and messages. No special equipment was required to communicate with satellites other than the Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphone. This means that such a service can work even in the absence of a regular mobile network.

According to Musk, Starlink plans to launch its satellite service for T-Mobile users later this year. First for SMS support, and then for calls and internet in 2025. SpaceX is also working with other carriers such as AT&T, Verizon and Vodafone to expand its coverage.

Starlink is a project to create a global internet access network using satellites launched into low Earth orbit. To date, SpaceX has put more than 1,600 Starlink satellites into orbit. The service is scheduled to launch in many countries around the world during 2024.

Source: @elonmusk