SpaceX’s Starlink ‘Direct-to-Cellular’ (D2C) telephony system is being tested in New Zealand.
Ben Longmier, SpaceX’s Senior director, satellite engineering, has confirmed the activity, saying the trials are being conducted with its local telco partner, One New Zealand, which has some 2.4 million customers and is the nation’s largest 5G cellular operator. New Zealand is thus added to the roster of test regions.
Reports that Starlink would be testing with Japan’s Rakuten have been firmly denied. Rakuten is working with Starlink’s rival AST SpaceMobile on D2C connectivity
U.S. tests are taking place in Nevada, Oregon and Kansas as well as in Romania.
However, the controversy surrounding Starlink’s plans focus on its satellite transmission frequencies and the strength of its signals and the risk of interference with geostationary satellite signals as well as those cellular frequencies operated by terrestrial operators. The argument is that Starlink’s cellular signals can operate at up to eight times the capacity currently allowed by the ITU’s EPFD (Equivalent Power Flux Density) limits.
