One NZ launches with SpaceX collaboration announcement

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › One NZ launches with SpaceX collaboration announcement

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ... | 14

395 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3058181 3-Apr-2023 12:55

gehenna:
timmyh:

Okay thanks. Do you know why it is only iPhone 14, i.e. is it special hardware, how is this different to the One and 2d announcements of today?

Yes there is special hardware for the iPhone to communicate direct with the satellite. I would assume the One NZ implementation is a backhaul satellite thing, rather than direct connection between phone and satellite.

It’s definitely direct to satellite- clearly states they’ll then have 100% nation-wide coverage

Oblivian

7296 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#3058187 3-Apr-2023 13:14

Partial mini v2 deployment expected at half point mid 2024. With the full gen2 waiting starship

On 2,016 of the initially licensed 7,500 satellites:[277] Gen2 Starlink satellites will also include an approximately 25 square meter antenna that would allow T-Mobile subscribers to be able to communicate directly via satellite through their regular mobile devices.[105] It will be implemented via a German-licensed hosted payload developed together with SpaceX's subsidiary Swarm Technologies and T-Mobile.[277] This hardware is supplemental to the existing Ku-band and Ka-band systems, and inter-satellite laser links, that have been on the first generation satellites launching as of mid-2022.[citation needed]

Some good tables on the wiki.

Aucklandjafa

395 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3058236 3-Apr-2023 13:22

Sounds like Apple’s SOS was pretty short lived - didn’t even get a proper chance to launch here

timmyh

188 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#3058355 3-Apr-2023 13:30

Aucklandjafa: Sounds like Apple’s SOS was pretty short lived - didn’t even get a proper chance to launch here

This is Apple, they might tell the mobile operators which LEO service to use rather than the other way round...

Useful HL overview here: https://www.pocket-lint.com/satellite-communication-smartphones-ntn-availability-specs-details/

Perhaps there is a struggle going on between mobile network operators (MNO) and the phone OEM's as to who owns the customer for this service. If the phone is communicating directly with the satellites then what value is the MNO adding? If you want a global satellite service then who is best to provide it - Apple / Samsung / other device OEM or the MNO? If the OEM then they would have to manage interconnect to the Emergency Services in each country.

boosacnoodle

963 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3058447 3-Apr-2023 14:43

Aucklandjafa: Sounds like Apple’s SOS was pretty short lived - didn’t even get a proper chance to launch here

Hard disagree. For one thing, Apple's service actually exists. Remains to be seen what will come of another of Elon's "next year" promises. Also Apple's service did data at launch. Albeit, only for Find My, but this also exists and presume will be available for more things in future too.

RogerMellie

319 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3058503 3-Apr-2023 15:01

boosacnoodle:

Aucklandjafa: Sounds like Apple’s SOS was pretty short lived - didn’t even get a proper chance to launch here

Hard disagree. For one thing, Apple's service actually exists. Remains to be seen what will come of another of Elon's "next year" promises. Also Apple's service did data at launch. Albeit, only for Find My, but this also exists and presume will be available for more things in future too.

Exactly my thoughts. When I saw the One press release connecting their big launch promise to a service delivered by an Elon Musk company, my first thought was that is a huge risk, aaaand it's not until late next year... Good thing there are still lots of years remaining in the 2020's, they can just change the last digit as the timeframe gets pushed out further and further, just like they have with eSIM for Apple Watch.

wellygary

8312 posts

Uber Geek

#3058507 3-Apr-2023 15:09

boosacnoodle:

Aucklandjafa: Sounds like Apple’s SOS was pretty short lived - didn’t even get a proper chance to launch here

Hard disagree. For one thing, Apple's service actually exists. Remains to be seen what will come of another of Elon's "next year" promises. Also Apple's service did data at launch. Albeit, only for Find My, but this also exists and presume will be available for more things in future too.

T-Mobile are promising their Space-X service "this year"

So this should give us an indication of whether the dates being referred to are those generally accepted by the Universe or whether they are "Elon" time like "Drive from LA to NY then park itself by the end of 2017 "

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

wired

187 posts

Master Geek

#3058520 3-Apr-2023 15:43

It look like it is to use 1900 MHz which is a mid range cellular frequency https://www.5gworldpro.com/blog/2022/08/28/t-mobile-and-spaecex-will-connect-mobile-phones-to-satellites/

Starlink had said that it was looking for MNOs to work with in each region to offer the service. Looked like they weren’t going to offer this direct to consumers.

timmyh

188 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#3058524 3-Apr-2023 16:05

Here's the Apple PR from the UK, Ireland, France & Germany emergency satellite messaging service late last year: https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2022/12/emergency-sos-via-satellite-available-in-france-germany-ireland-and-the-uk/

Key points:

1. Mobile App managed experience with user asked some leading questions, shown how to align to the nearest satellite - only if NO mobile coverage from any mobile operator

2. It looks like it just works (based on conditions), no service to sign up for, free for at least 2 years

3. Apple manage getting the message to the appropriate Emergency Service

4. Mobile Operator is not involved.

Apple have done their usual management of the end-to-end User Experience which is no bad thing. Question is how this emergency service might work alongside the more general communications service via satellite that have just been announced today by One.nz and 2degrees in NZ and previously on T-Mobile in US.

wellygary

8312 posts

Uber Geek

#3058528 3-Apr-2023 16:25

timmyh:

Apple have done their usual management of the end-to-end User Experience which is no bad thing. Question is how this emergency service might work alongside the more general communications service via satellite that have just been announced today by One.nz and 2degrees in NZ and previously on T-Mobile in US.

Pretty sure that One (T-mobile and Space-X) are gonna price this accordingly....

You're gonna pay to send that selfie with you recently downed 12 pointer, or that 50kg Kingi.....

timmyh

188 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#3058531 3-Apr-2023 16:30

wellygary:

You're gonna pay to send that selfie with you recently downed 12 pointer, or that 50kg Kingi.....

Sure, SOS for free and then an add on charge to send other stuff.

bigalow

566 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3058752 3-Apr-2023 23:55

I wonder what the Anti 5 G people will think of this .....

timmyh

188 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#3058813 4-Apr-2023 12:00

After sleeping on all this a quick(ish) summary:

1. The innovation here is incredible and it will be a huge step forward to get mobile phone direct to satellite comms in place so congratulations to all the companies working on it. Having just seen the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle here we can certainly appreciate some of the key benefits this will bring along with many others we don't yet know. We should all be looking forward to it.

2. But the landscape of providers looks very fractured, here's a quick survey showing the overlap between mobile operators + LEO satellite providers and the phone OEM's + LEO satellite provider and even a chip OEM:

Phone & Chip OEM's + LEO's (not using mobile operator spectrum?):

- Apple + Globalstar (live in a few markets already, SOS messages for now, iPhone 14 & later I assume)

- Samsung + ? (announced at CES)

- Qualcomm + Iridium (for Android phones, so what about Samsung?).

Mobile Operators + LEO's (mobile operator spectrum):

- One.nz + SpaceX

- 2degrees + Lynk

- Spark + ?

- Overseas: Optus (Aus) + Lynk, T-mobile (US) + SpaceX etc.

3. The situation above leads to so many questions and I am a bit surprised to see major new telecommunications services announced when there is so much up in the air (ha ha) and such long lead times:

- How will the overlapping services co-exist, e.g. I have iPhone 14 on One.nz so do I have a choice of two satellite SOS services in NZ?

- Will they work all over the world or just in NZ, how will roaming work?

- What spectrum is going to be used by each one?

- How will they interconnect to the Emergency Services?

- Will all/most Smartphones be supported or just certain models (e.g. iPhone 14 and above)

- What services will be supported by each and when? SOS along with personal communications?

- What will the additional costs be, will SOS always be free as it is on mobile networks?

- Can SOS take advantage of other services if required, i.e. a 2degrees phone use SpaceX cause its' satellite happens to be closer?

This situation reminds me of the mobile payments landscape around 2015 when the mobile operators got together with Paymark and created a JV called Semble to become the mobile payments clearing house. However it became pretty clear that the level of integration and security required for mobile payments between the phone OS and hardware and payments terminals meant that it could only be delivered properly by Apple or Google. One difference here is that it is a core communications capability and might require mobile operator spectrum. Will be fascinating to watch how all this plays out.

Aucklandjafa

395 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3058993 4-Apr-2023 14:07

I’d say Apple’s SOS service will essentially relegated to devices that don’t have access to such services as Voda’s deal with Space X. Since Voda will let any NZ mobile use it’s service for emergency calls, Apple’s service will be non-existent here.

gehenna

8495 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3058998 4-Apr-2023 14:16

timmyh:

3. The situation above leads to so many questions and I am a bit surprised to see major new telecommunications services announced when there is so much up in the air (ha ha) and such long lead times:

I suppose they had to announce something to go along with the rebrand. Vaporware (currently) seems as good an announcement as anything if all you're trying to do is attract people.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ... | 14