Successful satellite test
Spark says it’s also successfully sent its first text message via satellite - the first step toward offering near-100 per cent geographic coverage for emergency messages, and eventually full phone service anywhere beyond cell tower coverage.
The telco has partnered with Lynk - a US start-up that’s aiming to eventually go head-to-head with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The text was sent by Spark engineers from a standard mobile, positioned in a mobile blackspot near Kawakawa Bay in Auckland via one of Lynk’s satellites approximately 500 kilometres overhead, travelling at approximately 27,000 kilometres per hour, the telco says.
“We will be expanding the trial further next year,” a Spark spokeswoman told the Herald.
“Initially, the trial will enable text messaging periodically during the day, building towards a more regular service during 2024 as more commercial satellites are deployed. It’s important to note that satellite is still an emerging technology, and we are working with a number of partners in this space to trial different technologies as they evolve. This is why we have urged some caution around the hype, as it is important for customers to understand what the technology can and can’t do, and the likely timeline for it to develop.”
Lynk only has a handful of satellites in orbit so far (to Starlink’s 5000 or so) but is aiming for 50 by the end of next year, 300 by the end of 2026 and eventually 5110, with propulsion systems made by New Zealand’s Dawn Aerospace.
Both Starlink and Lynk’s satellites trace a low-Earth orbit, skimming the planet at 600km or lower - close enough that they can deliver a 5G signal to a regular, unmodified smartphone to receive their signal, for all intents and purposes treating it like a regular cell tower transmission.
2degrees is also partnering with Lynk. The pair staged what they billed a “world first” satellite-to-phone call in July, from a mobile blackspot 30 minutes north of Whanganui.
One NZ has partnered with Starlink for its satellite-to-mobile service. The telco recently told the Herald it’s on track to launch text-via-satellite by the end of next year, with voice and data added over the next couple of years.
Disaster prep
In addition to implementing new satellite-to-mobile technology, by the end of the year Spark will house satellite-connected temporary cell towers across Northland, Auckland, Napier, Palmerston North and Canterbury, which will be readily available to deploy should Spark’s mobile network be impacted by major fibre damage, network and operations director Renee Mateparae says.
“With our new satellite-connected temporary cell towers we can ensure the right equipment is positioned much closer to our regions and ready to be deployed more quickly. While we’re starting with five ahead of the summer holidays, our longer-term ambition is to enable our strategically placed permanent cell towers to automatically switch to satellite backhaul if required, ensuring we can provide much-needed connectivity when our customers need it most,” Mateparae says.
Cyclone Gabrielle took out fibre used for backhaul - or connecting cell towers to main networks. Mateparae says Spark is now looking at satellite backhaul to cover for damaged fibre.
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.
