Starlink Jalin The Biggest 'Direct-to-Cell' Agreement With Veon Group

Starlink reached the latest direct-to-cell agreement (photo: dock. Apjii)

JAKARTA Starlink, a satellite internet provider service from SpaceX, has reached a direct-to-cell agreement with telecommunications company Veon. This is the biggest deal for mobile networks.

Through this partnership, Starlink will gain access to service provision to more than 150 million potential potential customers. This partnership will also provide convenience to consumers who want their phones to be directly connected to satellite networks in orbit.

The direct-to-cell system works by connecting the phone to modems in space. Then, the phone signal will be emitted to Earth so that the internet connection can reach various regions, including remote areas.

Starlink's integration into the Veon network will begin with Beeline operators in Kazakhstan and Kyivstar in Ukraine. Veon also operates telecommunications networks in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan.

Kyivstar in Ukraine is scheduled to be the first to launch this service in the fourth quarter of this year. Furthermore, Beeline in Kazakhstan will follow its service supply next year.

This service is non-exclusive. This means that Veon is not required to provide only one satellite internet service. This telecommunications company can establish agreements with other satellite providers, such as Amazon's Project Kuiper.

Veon Group CEO, Kaan Terzioglu, confirmed that Veon was in discussions with Amazon's Project Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile, and Eutelsat OneWeb. Veon doesn't want to rely on just one provider.

Currently, Starlink has served more than 7 million users globally and partnered with operators in 11 countries, including T-Mobile in the US. With more than 8,000 satellites operating, Starlink now has 650 satellites dedicated exclusively to direct-to-cell services.