{
  "id": 2951454,
  "title": "When every phone becomes a satellite phone, what's next?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/when-every-phone-becomes-a-satellite-phone-whats-next",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-24T05:26:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/technology/when-every-phone-becomes-a-satellite-phone-whats-next-1.500650110"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Smartphones are evolving into satellite phones, with no need for new hardware or special handsets. Companies in Japan, the Philippines, the US, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru, Switzerland and Indonesia are all testing or launching direct-to-cell services. Globe Telecom in the Philippines launched the first commercial satellite-to-mobile direct-to-cell service using SpaceX's Starlink LEO satellites, enabling ordinary LTE phones to connect directly with space. The service initially focuses on text messaging, emergency alerts, location sharing, basic navigation and lightweight messaging apps. Direct-to-cell capabilities act as cell sites in space, allowing satellite connectivity to serve as cell sites. This technology is still in its early stages, but it has the potential to change the mobile industry by altering who pays for coverage. While satellite networks have specific advantages, the scale of companies like Starlink and China's Spacesail is vast, making direct-to-cell a significant development in mobile technology.",
  "summary": "The smartphone is quietly becoming something else: a satellite phone. No fanfare. No new handset. Just a phone that can reach the sky when the ground network disappears. From Japan to the Philippines, the mobile dead zone is being turned into a wholesale product—and the companies that own the satellites could eventually have a say in what that coverage costs. Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell (D2C)…",
  "key_points": [
    "Smartphones evolving into satellite phones with no new hardware needed",
    "Direct-to-cell technology could alter mobile industry by changing who pays for coverage"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}