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SpaceX has received the necessary legislative permissions to allow One New Zealand to begin field testing its satellite to mobile service.
With that regulatory hurdle cleared, One NZ is getting down to local testing of the Starlink direct-to-cell satellite network and its capabilities.
“When we announced our collaboration with SpaceX, we were dealing with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, a stark reminder of the necessity of a resilient back up to our mobile network, which can be disrupted by climate-related, fibre and power outages,” One New Zealand CEO Jason Paris said.
Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capability were maintaining connectivity in Florida, USA, during Hurricane Milton, with ground-based mobile networks disrupted, he said.
New Zealand’s unique geography also meant 40 per cent of the country’s landmass currently had no mobile coverage, Paris said.
“By partnering with SpaceX, we’ll be one of the very first countries in the world to benefit from satellite to mobile technology which uses incredible innovation to overcome those geographic constraints to provide a second line of defence which will keep Kiwis safer and better connected.”
One NZ engineers will soon be testing the new service on a variety of mobile phones in different locations to determine the user experience and finalise launch plans.
Starlink satellites are around 360km in the sky, travelling at 27,000 km per hour while connecting to One NZ handsets. So, while the engineering was incredibly complex, the customer experience needed to be simple.
“We’re planning to launch the service when our customers can send and receive an SMS by satellite to mobile in a matter of minutes,” Paris said.
“With rocket launches on a nearly weekly basis putting new Starlink satellites in the sky, we are confident that won’t take long.”
One NZ was also working with phone manufacturers to bring the service to as many customers as possible.
Paris said while safety was One NZ’s first priority, the additional coverage would also be a boon for NZ productivity, with companies across the country using it to stay in touch with their teams.
In August, local ICT services provider BayCom also took advantage of StarLink services and network upgrades to deploy Access4’s cloud-based voice platform for Kawerau District Council.