Huge change for mobile users as new Space X service gives boost to regional Aussies, campers

Yahoo

2 days ago

Select Australians living rurally and in regional areas will soon have access to better mobile coverage, with Telstra launching the country's first satellite-to-mobile text service, allowing users to send and receive messages even outside of 4G and 5G covered zones.
In the Aussie outback, on remote roads, and in places like isolated hiking trails, sending messages can be near-impossible with regular service. But now, Telstra, in collaboration with Elon Musk's SpaceX, aims to fix the problem.
While the program is still in its early days, the telco said on Tuesday it stands to be of enormous benefit to farmers and those working in ultra-remote areas of the country, in particular. It's been branded a "just-in-case" connectivity layer that allows a person to make contact with a loved one to make contact in the event of an emergency.
The messaging service relies on Low Earth Orbit satellites and direct-to-device technology to send signals straight from space to compatible mobile phones. Currently, only the Samsung Galaxy S25 can send texts this way. Any phone, however, can receive them. Broader compatibility is expected to be rolled out in the future.
When users are outside Telstra's mobile coverage in mainland Australia or Tasmania, their phone will automatically switch to the Starlink satellite. Rural Australians have long relied on LEO satellite services like Starlink, Sky Muster, Intelsat, and Inmarsat for internet, calls, emails, and texts — and this new messaging service builds on that.
A user simply needs to compose a text as normal and keep their phone in clear view of the sky. Depending on the location, device, and satellite availability, it may take a few minutes or more to send or receive messages.
Telstra's executive for technology engagement, Channa Seneviratne, said the service can't yet connect directly to emergency services, meaning users would need to message someone else to call triple-0 if needed. "It's important to remember that this is not an emergency service," he said.
"Australia is a very big country, and there are places where a mobile network does not provide coverage. So if you are somebody who lives ... outside of that network coverage, Telstra satellite messaging will be perfect for you.
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"This is a really exciting advancement in technology." He said Telstra is working to make the technology compatible with more devices, including Apple products, with voice calls over the LEOsat network also in development, but not expected until 2027.
The satellite tech will be built into contracts at no added price, and Telstra said customers can expect further announcements in the coming months.
"Following launch, we will continue to test and refine the service so we can continue to offer the best product we can for customers," it said in a statement this morning.
In the future, satellite-to-mobile tech is expected to go beyond just texting, with plans to support data use and voice calls as the network evolves.
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