Andrew Grush / Android Authority
TL;DR Starlink filed new trademarks, including “Starlink Mobile” and “Powered by Starlink”, covering cellular communication services and delivery of video and data to mobile devices.
The filings follow Starlink’s growing telecom activity, including its T-Mobile satellite partnership and recent acquisition of terrestrial spectrum from EchoStar.
None of this is too surprising, as Musk had previously stated that Starlink may eventually offer full cellular service, though he suggested it was likely a ways off at the time.
Starlink has been transforming the way people connect to the internet for over six years now, and during that time the company has grown significantly in both subscribers and ambition. It initially focused on satellite ISP services, but in 2022 it announced a partnership with T-Mobile to provide satellite features for cellular subscribers as well. This collaboration eventually led to T-Satellite by Starlink, which offers limited connectivity in areas where cellular towers are unavailable. As first spotted by PC Mag, it now appears that a new trademark suggests Starlink’s mobile ambitions likely extend far beyond this.
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SpaceX filed for a new trademark on October 16 for what it refers to as “Starlink Mobile”, which isn’t too surprising. After all, this comes shortly after Musk hinted at the long-term possibility of Starlink Mobile as a stand-alone service back in September.
According to the filing, the trademark would apply to a wide range of communications and telecommunications services, including “cellular personal communication services” and delivery of “video and data to mobile phones and smart devices”. Starlink also filed for a “powered by Starlink” trademark, which aligns with its strategy of partnering with cellular providers outside the US, such as KDDI in Japan and Rogers in Canada.
So what does all this mean? Most likely, the trademark was filed with long-term goals in mind rather than any immediate play. The news follows Starlink’s recent acquisition of terrestrial bandwidth from Boost Mobile’s parent company, EchoStar. This itself was only a few months after Musk confirmed that the company would likely offer full cellular service eventually.
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