SpaceX’s satellite-to-cell Starlink texting service can now operate throughout New Zealand, thanks to the telecommunications company One NZ. The New Zealand-based provider says this is the first time that a nationwide satellite text messaging service has been powered by Starlink. T-Mobile has been making a lot of noise about getting this going, but it looks like One NZ beat it to the punch.
What’s the benefit here for New Zealand residents? It’s a country with many rural areas without access to mobile towers, resulting in weak or no signals. This should even the playing field for people who don’t live near big cities.
Now onto the caveats, and there are a couple of big ones. Starlink texting is incredibly slow when compared to traditional methods. One NZ says that most messages should be sent and received within three minutes during the initial rollout, but admits that timeframe could increase to “10 minutes or longer.” It is for this reason that the company continues to urge folks to carry a personal locator beacon when traveling to a remote area.
The service is also only supported by four smartphone models, which includes the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and OPPO Find X8 Pro. This list of eligible devices is expected to grow next year. The company also intends to eventually expand the service to include voice calling and data.
The satellite service is free for existing One NZ customers on paid-monthly plans, but we don’t know the pricing scheme for new customers or for those signed up for other types of contracts. Starlink has partnered with other telecommunications companies to bring comprehensive coverage to Japan, Peru, Switzerland and Chile. As previously mentioned, it’s also working with T-Mobile to do something similar in the US.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/starlinks-first-nationwide-satellite-texting-service-goes-live-in-new-zealand-182343142.html?src=rss