Latest news with #StarlinkDirecttoCell
India.com
3 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Elon Musk once gave Apple 3 days to accept his Rs 55000 crore offer, Tim Cook rejected it, paid heavy price due to...
(File) Elon Musk, the world's richest man is infamous for aggressive business tactics, and one such example was none other than Apple, when Musk reportedly issued a 3-day ultimatum to the tech giant to accept his SpaceX satellite connectivity deal for a whopping $5 billion, days ahead of the iPhone 14 launch. When Elon Musk gave an ultimatum to Tim Cook According to reports, Elon Musk's SpaceX offered satellite connectivity for the iPhone, but Apple would have to pay $5 billion upfront for the service, and $1 billion annually after an 18-month exclusivity period. The egotistic billionaire was convinced that Apple wouldn't dare turn down such a deal, and gave Tim Cook 3 days to decide. Musk also threatened to launch a competing service that would work directly with iPhones if Apple refused his offer. Tim Cook defies Elon Musk However, unfazed by Musk's ultimatum and threats, Apple CEO Tim Cook turned down the offer and chose to partner with a smaller satellite communications provider (satcom), and even though the SpaceX deal would have provided more expansive satellite network for the iPhone, Cook decided otherwise due to various factors. Scorned by the refusal, Elon Musk did exactly what he had threatened to do; the tech billionaire launched Starlink Direct to Cell, a competing satellite service that offered satellite-powered communication for smartphones, including the iPhone running a T-Mobile network. The service was a collaboration between SpaceX and T-Mobile. Musk sues Globalstar in spectrum battle The situation presented a major legal challenge to Apple as iPhones using a T-Mobile network, could connect to Musk's Starlink Direct to Cell services, even though the devices were legally tied to Globalstar. The legal battle escalated after SpaceX challenged Globalstar's rights to an important wireless spectrum, claiming that the latter had failed to fully utilize the allocated spectrum, and was trying to block competitors from entering the market. This directly impacted Apple as the spectrum being challenged was being used for its iPhone satellite connectivity service, which meant that it would have to find an alternative satcom provider, if SpaceX were to win the lawsuit. SpaceX legal challenge triggers internal rift at Apple As per a report by Apple Insider, Musk's legal onslaught created internal rifts within Apple as senior executives, including its software chief Craig Federighi, and Adrian Perica, head of corporate development, expressed concerns over the tech giant's partnership with Globalstar, which reportedly has an outdated and slower network compared to its competitors like SpaceX. Globalstar was planning to expand its satellite network, but only marginal improvements were expected over the next decade. Many Apple executives feared that the company's reliance on Globalstar could draw unwanted regulatory attention, particularly over the issue of whether Apple could be classified as a telecommunications carrier. However, despite these reservations, Apple decided to continue its partnership with Globalstar, and has a $1.7 billion investment with the satcom provider, out of which $1.1 billion is dedicated to developing and launching new satellites.
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Perth Now
‘Significant': Remote text service launched
A new satellite to text messaging service has launched in Australia making it possible to send or receive texts from outdoor locations when your mobile coverage is out of range. Telstra has launched the product to give mobile customers the ability to send or receive texts beyond the network's mobile range, benefitting users who live work or travel in regional or remote parts of Australia. The service will help farmers in a back paddock, a person on a remote hike or someone who's broken down or has a flat tyre on a country road. Telstra has launched Australia's first satellite to mobile text messaging service that works when your network is out of range. Supplied Credit: Supplied Telstra engineers and employees have been testing the technology for months in some of the nation's most remote locations. Currently, the service only supports texts messages (and emojis) on the Samsung Galaxy S25 series family, but future satellite to mobile capability is expected to extend to other devices, data and making calls. Telstra consumer executive Tom Beach said the service was part of a collaboration with Space X's Starlink Direct to Cell. Telstra is launching the first satellite to mobile text messaging service in Australia. Supplied Credit: Supplied 'Being able to send or receive a text message from an outdoor location that is beyond the range of our mobile network is a significant step forward and reinforces our commitment to pioneer new connectivity options for Australians,' he said. 'As a new technology, satellite to mobile messaging is currently limited to text messaging only, and, whilst complementary, this service is separate and performs differently to our mobile network. 'Following launch, we will continue to test and refine the service so we can continue to offer the best product we can for customers.'
West Australian
5 days ago
- West Australian
Telstra launches a new satellite text messaging service that's accessible when mobile coverage is out of range
A new satellite to text messaging service has launched in Australia making it possible to send or receive texts from outdoor locations when your mobile coverage is out of range. Telstra has launched the product to give mobile customers the ability to send or receive texts beyond the network's mobile range, benefitting users who live work or travel in regional or remote parts of Australia. The service will help farmers in a back paddock, a person on a remote hike or someone who's broken down or has a flat tyre on a country road. Telstra engineers and employees have been testing the technology for months in some of the nation's most remote locations. Currently, the service only supports texts messages (and emojis) on the Samsung Galaxy S25 series family, but future satellite to mobile capability is expected to extend to other devices, data and making calls. Telstra consumer executive Tom Beach said the service was part of a collaboration with Space X's Starlink Direct to Cell. 'Being able to send or receive a text message from an outdoor location that is beyond the range of our mobile network is a significant step forward and reinforces our commitment to pioneer new connectivity options for Australians,' he said. 'As a new technology, satellite to mobile messaging is currently limited to text messaging only, and, whilst complementary, this service is separate and performs differently to our mobile network. 'Following launch, we will continue to test and refine the service so we can continue to offer the best product we can for customers.'
