TECH NEWS

Satellite phone dreams orbit reality as direct-to-cell usage set to underwhelm

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Nice technology, shame about the price and the indoor blackouts

Mobile telcos are linking up with satellite operators to extend coverage beyond their cell towers reach, but actual usage of the technology may fall short of industry expectations.

That's the view of Juniper Research, which forecasts monthly active direct-to-cell (D2C) users will grow from 17.4 million in 2026 to 133 million by 2031.

Strong growth, but Juniper warns real-world adoption will likely disappoint: D2C is inherently niche, kicking in only when terrestrial signal fails, and it does nothing to solve poor indoor coverage - a complaint that frustrates users day-to-day.

“Consumer demand for D2C is currently concentrated to specific trips and travel, such as to national parks and nature reserves, rather than during everyday usage of mobile services,” claimed senior research analyst Alex Webb.

Network intelligence biz Ookla reported a few months back that the number of D2C connectionsrose...

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