The US startup Spacecoin sends secure information through space to demonstrate that it can offer an alternative to Starlink’s satellite internet service.
America’s T-Mobile, powered by Starlink satellites, has announced that it is expanding its satellite-based network to support more applications in mobile dead zones. Among the new apps that will be supported are WhatsApp and X.
The company said WhatsApp users will be able to use not just SMS and MMS messages in remote locations, but even live voice and video chats.
T-Mobile President of Marketing, Innovation and Experience Mike Katz said, “Now we’re taking it up a notch and bringing essential phone apps and services into the mix – giving people access to the apps they need most, in places they’ve never had a signal before. It’s a game-changer for safety, peace of mind, and the freedom to stay connected virtually anywhere.”
Previously, T-Satellite, which was launched in July, supported apps such as Google Messages, Apple Music, Weather, Fitness, and Samsung’s Weather app. Now it has added WhatsApp, X, AccuWeather, and AllTrials, among others.
For T-Satellite customers, the phone automatically switches to the satellite network the moment a terrestrial signal drops. When customers open a satellite-ready app, it will provide critical services rather than full data-heavy experiences.
The network is included at no extra charge with T-Mobile’s new “Experience Beyond” plan. For others, including AT&T and Verizon, the service can be added for $10 a month.
According to Jeff Giard, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Product Innovation, the framework for the App Store and the Play Store now enables apps to adopt SAT mode through an application programming interface. T-Mobile is working to get more app developers to activate it.
“I think people are excited about the fact that the phone in their pocket can actually connect to outer space and that they get basically a satellite phone without having to buy extra equipment,” Giard said.
Besides applications, T-Mobile announced that it is set to support the satellite mobile data feature on 17 additional devices, including several Samsung Galaxy phones. A spec sheet from the carrier shows the models included. But Jeff Giard, T-Mobile’s VP for Strategic Partnerships, said more models will receive access once their manufacturers properly roll out the required software updates.
In other news, the US startup Spacecoin has said that it has successfully sent secured information through space in what it said was a first for the industry, as the firm tries to show it can offer an alternative to Starlink’s satellite internet service.
Tae Oh, the founder of Spacecoin, stated that the company aims to reach people in areas where internet access is slow, blocked, or prohibitively expensive. However, unlike Starlink, which is owned by SpaceX and has a single entity controlling the network, Spacecoin aims to build a decentralized system that anyone can join.
Oh said that the test was meant to show that data on a blockchain, which is the protected record behind cryptocurrencies and other digital services, could leave Earth, go through an orbiting satellite, and come back without any damage.
In the test, which was done with Bulgarian microsatellite maker EnduroSat, Spacecoin’s data went more than 7,000 km by satellite from Chile to the Azores.
“Beyond end users, we are also targeting builders – such as developers, telecom companies, NGOs, and infrastructure partners,” Oh said. He added, “For people using the internet, this means the information or payments they send through the network can’t be faked, changed, or intercepted by bad actors.”
The US bank J.P. Morgan was the first to test blockchain payments between satellites, but Spacecoin’s is the first exchange to bypass terrestrial internet entirely. However, compared to Starlink’s 8,000 satellites, Spacecoin is still a very small player.
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