A new stage of competition is emerging in the telecommunications field: Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Apple, led by Tim Cook, have entered a battle for dominance in the satellite communication segment for mobile devices, reports Baltimore Chronicle citing Financial Express.
A key player in this market is SpaceX, which has been developing the global satellite network Starlink for several years. It provides high-speed internet even in the most remote corners of the planet. Recently, SpaceX submitted an application to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stating its intention to launch a new service — direct connection between Starlink satellites and smartphones without the need for additional external antennas. This could make the company a leader in the global mobile communication field.
In response, Apple has intensified its collaboration with Globalstar — an American satellite company that provides emergency satellite communication for the iPhone. In 2022, Apple officially introduced the “Emergency SOS via satellite” feature for the iPhone 14, which has already helped users in critical situations, including rescues in Alaska’s forests and on mountain trails.
The confrontation between these two technology giants has the potential to transform the communication market. SpaceX intends to partner with T-Mobile in the U.S., which will allow part of the traffic to be routed via Starlink satellites. This will significantly reduce the load on the ground infrastructure of mobile operators, especially in regions with limited or unstable coverage.
Apple, in turn, is expanding Globalstar’s network by investing in the modernization of its satellite fleet. The company has already financed the launch of several new satellites to extend coverage and reduce signal latency.
So far, both companies are working to provide seamless satellite service on a mass market scale. If SpaceX succeeds in realizing its ambitious plan to fully integrate Starlink into regular smartphones, it will be a technological breakthrough. Apple, on its side, relies on its ecosystem and millions of active iPhone users to consolidate its position.
It is expected that the competition between SpaceX and Apple will accelerate innovation in satellite communication and change the rules of the game for the entire telecommunications industry.
Earlier we wrote that Musk raises $6 billion to boost xAI as OpenAI rival.