Billionaire Elon Musk’s satellite firm, Starlink, has announced plans to bring internet and mobile services directly to subscribers’ phones.
In this new development, phones will be directly connected to the satellite internet via an advanced Evolved Node B (eNodeB) modem.
Evolved Node B, a base station equipment that handles the radio interface with mobile devices, will act like a cellphone tower in space, allowing network integration similar to that of a standard roaming partner.
Once activated, the phones will be connected to the internet without the need for extra equipment or a hardware router, which currently costs around KSh 29,000 in Kenya.
In the announcement, Starlink said the eNodeB modem is compatible with ordinary 4G-LTE mobile phones.
Notably, the entrance of Starlink Internet into the Kenyan market has caused a ‘panic’ among the local internet service providers (ISPs).
Seemingly feeling the heat of the now-worthy competitor is Kenya’s leading telecommunications company, Safaricom.
Recently, Safaricom wrote to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) urging it to regulate Starlink.
The telco argued that satellite coverage could cross borders and illegally provide services within Kenya, leading to ‘harmful interference’, among other reasons, necessitating regulation.
With the new development of Starlink providing internet directly to phones without the need for relatively expensive routers, the company is likely to gain more subscribers, hitting Safaricom hard.
