Telstra to expand mobile network with Starlink satellites

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 09 January 2025

Telstra will test technology that allows customers to send text messages via satellite when they don't have mobile coverage in partnership with SpaceX - the company responsible for Starlink.

Telstra's group executive for global networks and tech, Shailin Sehgal, describes the Starlink technology as playing a complementary role to the telco's existing network.

"Australia's landmass is vast and there will always be large areas where mobile and fixed networks do not reach," said Sehgal.

Starlink's next-generation satellites are able to broadcast mobile spectrum, which means existing phones can connect to them without the need for any special equipment. A clear view of the sky is necessary, however.

There's no fixed time frame for when Telstra will launch Starlink connectivity for its mobile customers. The partnership's initial focus is on "testing and refining".

"We’re extensively testing the technology to make sure we provide the best possible service to our customers when we launch," a Telstra spokesperson told WhistleOut. "We don’t have specific timing yet on when that will be, but we’ll share more as soon as we can."

Telstra is positioning the Starlink partnership as a "just-in-case" option, as the satellites only have enough bandwidth to send a message. Despite testing the Starlink satellite tech, Telstra still says it's committed to building out its own mobile network, and still plans to bolster its 5G coverage to reach 95% of the population by the 2025 financial year.

Telstra has also been trialling similar direct-to-handset satellite technology from Lynk Global. A Telstra spokesperson told WhistleOut that "testing and investigation with Lynk and other satellite providers" is still ongoing.

TPG is also working with Lynk Global on direct-to-handset satellite technology, but unlike Telstra, has made a firmer commitment in making Lynk's solution available to customers. TPG and Lynk's tests are set to start this year.

Meanwhile, Optus announced a partnership with SpaceX to use Starlink satellites for mobile coverage back in 2023. This was meant to launch by the end of 2024, but was delayed. On an Optus spokesperson told WhistleOut the telco is still committed to launching direct-to-handset satellite technology for its customers.

"Optus is working with SpaceX to conduct local testing and we’re re-evaluating our timelines to deliver this product with the best possible experience for customers," said the spokesperson.

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Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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