The telco added that it’s also begun a live trial within Australia, testing the technology in regional areas with hopes for launch in the “coming months”.
It comes shortly after rival Optus revealed it was forced to delay its own rollout of the service, but Vodafone countered it had already sent its first text in NSW.
So-called “direct-to-cell” technology is unique because it does not require customers to obtain specific hardware and will work on all compatible handsets.
It works because the satellites essentially function as cell towers in space to expand terrestrial coverage into otherwise unreached areas.
Telstra said its direct-to-mobile service with Starlink would enable “basic texting” in some of Australia’s hardest-to-reach places.
“We’ve been testing and refining it for Australian conditions, and since the start of April, our engineers have sent more than 55,000 text messages using this satellite to mobile capability,” said Telstra.
“Now we have kicked off a live trial with our regional Australia team. Over the past week, our team has tested satellite-to-mobile messaging across Australia, in areas outside of Telstra’s mobile network coverage in NT, WA, Qld and NSW.
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“Of the 500+ messages sent during the live trial, the team has also tested sending GPS coordinates and emojis via text message.
“These tests help us to assess factors such as the speed at which messages can be sent and received, how easy it is to connect to a satellite connection, and how efficiently devices manage to connect to the satellite network once the mobile network becomes unavailable.”
Telstra added that, after launch, the service would be available on mainland Australia and Tasmania, excluding the Australian Radio Quiet Zone in Western Australia.
Customers will need to compose a text and then keep the handset in the sky’s line of sight until it has finished sending, which could take “a few minutes or longer to send or receive, depending on location, device and availability of satellite”.
Space Connect previously revealed how Vodafone owner TPG sent its first “direct-to-mobile” text from the Northern Tablelands of NSW via the Lynk Global constellation.
TPG said its early tests used a range of popular smartphones, including the Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel handsets.
The first message, sent via a Vodafone network, read, “Happy Easter!”, a reference to the first-ever text message sent by the same telco in December 1992, which read “Merry Christmas”.
Optus, though, has been forced to delay its own Starlink service after SpaceX encountered regulatory hurdles in the US.
Adam Thorn
Adam is a journalist who has worked for more than 40 prestigious media brands in the UK and Australia. Since 2005, his varied career has included stints as a reporter, copy editor, feature writer and editor for publications as diverse as Fleet Street newspaper The Sunday Times, fashion bible Jones, media and marketing website Mumbrella as well as lifestyle magazines such as GQ, Woman’s Weekly, Men’s Health and Loaded. He joined Momentum Media in early 2020 and currently writes for Australian Aviation and World of Aviation.
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