On Tuesday, January 2 at 7:44 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 launched 21 Starlink satellites to low-earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This was the first flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission.
This launch included the first six Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities that enable mobile network operators around the world to provide seamless global access to texting, calling and browsing wherever you may be on land, lakes or coastal waters without changing hardware or firmware. The enhanced Starlink satellites have an advanced modem that acts as a cellphone tower in space, eliminating dead zones with network integration similar to a standard roaming partner.
Global cellular providers using Direct to Cell to gain reciprocal access in all partner nations include T-Mobile in the U.S., Rogers in Canada, KDDI in Japan, Optus in Australia, One NZ in New Zealand, Salt in Switzerland and Entel in Chile and Peru.