Elon Musk Says Starlink Connectivity Is Coming To Tesla's Electric Cars

Elon Musk recently dropped some big news about the Starlink system, specifically the second-gen internet-beaming satellites floating in the low-Earth orbit and their connected future with automobiles. While sitting with a T-Mobile executive earlier this week, Musk announced that starting next year, T-Mobile phones will be able to latch on to the internet beamed by the new wave of Starlink satellites rocking custom antenna hardware.

The idea is to enable satellite internet connectivity across the globe over the existing cellular bands without the need for any special telecom hardware aside from the satellites offered by Starlink. Or as T-Mobile's Mike Sievert puts it, "It's a lot like putting a cellular tower in the sky, just a lot harder." The plans are ambitious, and once executed, they just might prove to be a game-changer for people in disaster-hit areas or those in the need of emergency help in far-out areas. Apple is rumored to be eyeing a similar tech for iPhones.

Yes

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2022

Starlink is yet to technically demonstrate the tech, but there's already some precedent for it. In September of 2021, Lynk demoed a two-way data link with a satellite acting as the intermediary for signal reception as well as direct broadcast Fast forward to February of 2022, when the company signed deals with seven Pacific and Caribbean island nations to provide satellite-direct-to-phone services. SpaceX's Starlink division wants to go a step further than phones by letting Tesla cars grab some of that satellite internet bandwidth.

Answering a user's query on Twitter about whether satellite-to-phone internet channels can also be ported over to Tesla cars, Musk replied with a "yes," indicating that it is technically feasible. So far, AT&T has been the preferred partner for providing cellular connectivity inside Tesla cars. So far, no technical details have been shared by Tesla, or Musk, as to how exactly the electric cars will pick up satellite internet signals.

Again, the concept of satellites talking to cars is not totally unheard of. Earlier this year, Chinese automaker Geely launched nine low-earth satellites. The company hopes that these satellites will form the backbone of a low-Earth orbit infrastructure that will guide its autonomous cars in the near future. 

Musk only confirmed that Starlink connectivity is a possibility and will allow Tesla car owners to call or text. For now, there is no tentative date for the rollout of full satellite internet connectivity on Tesla cars. Looking over at the competition, the hottest competition comes from China, where electric upstarts are leaving quite a solid impression backed by strong sales and impressive tech.

Take for example Huawei, which has roped in over a dozen carmakers to adopt its HiCar system and form what the company calls a "5G automotive ecosystem." The race among automakers to put 5G internet in their cars is already in advanced stages, but the same is yet to make a dent in Tesla's home market.