On Tuesday, the company revealed that the service, initially available only for texting, has now begun for those with Samsung Galaxy S25 handsets, with a rollout to iPhone users expected to follow soon.
The news comes weeks after Space Connect reported Telstra had already sent 55,000 practice texts, including testing undertaken in remote areas outside of its traditional mobile coverage.
It also means the company has significantly won the race to launch direct-to-cell technology in Australia, with Optus and Vodafone planning rival services.
So-called “direct-to-cell” technology is unique because it does not require customers to obtain specific hardware and will work on all compatible handsets.
It works because the satellites essentially function as cell towers in space to expand terrestrial coverage into otherwise unreached areas.
“For eligible customers with a Samsung Galaxy S25 series device that has been updated with the latest software, Telstra Satellite Messaging will be added to your core plan inclusions, and you can start using this service as soon as it’s enabled,” Telstra said in a statement.
“The rollout of Telstra Satellite Messaging for all eligible customers should be completed over the coming weeks.
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“This means you will be able to send SMS messages via the Starlink Direct to Cell satellite network to standard Australian and international numbers, in most places throughout Australia when the mobile network is unavailable and you are outdoors with a direct line of sight to the sky.”
Initially, the service will be limited to SMS-style texts, with voice functionality unlikely to be ready before 2027.
“Sending a text message with Starlink is a short burst of data,” Telstra’s Channa Seneviratne said. “But with a phone call, you’re talking about something that is many minutes, and the satellite is moving at 25,000 kilometres an hour.”
The coverage expands beyond its usual mobile network, but it significantly does not include WA’s radio quiet zone or remote offshore territories.
Space Connect previously revealed how Vodafone owner TPG sent its first “direct-to-mobile” text from the Northern Tablelands of NSW via the Lynk Global constellation.
TPG said its early tests used a range of popular smartphones, including the Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel handsets.
The first message, sent via a Vodafone network, read, “Happy Easter!”, a reference to the first-ever text message sent by the same telco in December 1992, which read “Merry Christmas”.
Optus, though, has been forced to delay its own Starlink service after SpaceX encountered regulatory hurdles in the US.
Adam Thorn
Adam is a journalist who has worked for more than 40 prestigious media brands in the UK and Australia. Since 2005, his varied career has included stints as a reporter, copy editor, feature writer and editor for publications as diverse as Fleet Street newspaper The Sunday Times, fashion bible Jones, media and marketing website Mumbrella as well as lifestyle magazines such as GQ, Woman’s Weekly, Men’s Health and Loaded. He joined Momentum Media in early 2020 and currently writes for Australian Aviation and World of Aviation.
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