View gallery - 4 images SpaceX has launched 20 of its Starlink satellites up into Earth's orbit, enabling direct-to-cellphone connectivity for subscribers anywhere on the planet. That completes the constellation's first orbital shell, following a launch of an initial batch of six satellites for testing back in January. The satellites were launched with a Falcon 9 rocket from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on December 5 at 10 PM EST; they were then deployed in low Earth orbit. SpaceX founder Elon Musk noted on X that the effort will "enable unmodified cellphones to have internet connectivity in remote areas." He added a caveat for the first orbital shell – "Bandwidth per beam is only ~10 Mb, but future constellations will be much more capable." That's in line with Musk's previous statement on the strength of Starlink's service back in January. “While this is a great solution for locations with no cellular connectivity, it is not meaningfully competitive with existing terrestrial cellular networks,” he noted. However, the current 10-Mb bandwidth is a step up from the 7 Mb the initial test satellites managed at the start of the year. Starlink will initially only deliver text messages via its direct-to-cell service, with voice and data planned for 2025 SpaceX Indeed, you'll currently get only text service through the end of 2024; voice and data will become available sometime next year, as will support for IoT devices (such as smart home gadgets). The company hasn't said how much its service will cost. One vaguely relevant reference to consider is Starlink's roaming broadband service, which works with a receiver mounted on your car or RV: that costs US$50 per month for subscribers in the US with a 50-GB cap. How it works The big deal with this new venture is that unlike previous attempts at providing satellite-to-phone service, you don't need a special handset or even a specific app to get access anywhere in the world. Starlink uses standard LTE/4G protocols that most phones are compatible with, partners with mobile operators like T-Mobile in the US and Rogers in Canada, and has devised a system to make its service work seamlessly with your phone when it's connecting to satellites 340 miles (540 km) above the Earth's surface. Unlike previous satellite phone services, you won't need a special handset or app to use Starlink's direct-to-cell tech SpaceX The SpaceX division noted it's also worked out latency constraints, ideal altitudes and elevation angles for its satellites, along with several other parameters, to achieve reliable connectivity. Each satellite has an LTE modem on board, and these satellites plug into the massive constellation of 6,799 existing Starlink spacecraft, according to Space.com. Connecting to that larger constellation happens via laser backhaul, where laser-based optical communication systems transmit data between satellites. This method leverages the advantages of lasers over traditional radio frequency communications, enabling data rates up to 100 times faster, increased bandwidth, and improved security. Starlink's initial six direct-to-cell satellites ready for launch SpaceX