Reddit SpaceX announced today that it has officially completed the first generation of its Starlink Direct-to-Cell satellite network, designed to connect standard cellphones in remote areas — even where there are no cell towers. “Congrats to the @SpaceX team on completing the first generation Starlink Direct to Cell constellation!” the company posted on X on Friday. “Working with cellular providers around the world, Direct to Cell enables unmodified cellphones to have connectivity in the most remote areas.” The service uses low-Earth orbit satellites equipped with cellular antennas that can communicate directly with regular smartphones — no satellite phone or special hardware needed. It’s expected to improve mobile coverage in areas with little or no service, such as wilderness regions, highways, and coastal zones. In Canada, Rogers is SpaceX’s exclusive telecom partner for Direct-to-Cell. The company signed a deal last year to bring the technology to Canada. This move will eliminate coverage gaps in rural and remote parts of the country for Rogers customers. When the service rolls out, Rogers customers will be able to stay connected even in areas where there’s no ground-based cellular signal, using the Starlink satellite network instead. Starlink has shown demos of Direct to Cell powering a video call. Other major telecoms have also signed on globally, including T-Mobile in the U.S. (it gets the exclusive first launch right now), KDDI in Japan, and Optus in Australia.