TPG Telecom (OTC: TPGTF) has partnered with satellite-direct-to-mobile-phone (sat2phone) operator Lynk Global to eliminate mobile coverage dead zones around Australia. The non-exclusive service launch agreement enables TPG Telecom, headquartered in North Sydney, New South Wales, to address mobile connectivity gaps in rural and remote Australia by connecting standard mobile phones to Lynk’s growing constellation of low Earth orbit satellites.
The companies say they will run initial text message trials commencing in 2025. In Australia, Lynk is testing SMS and plans to introduce voice and limited data services in the future. Lynk points out that over two thirds of Australia’s landmass is currently without mobile coverage.
The company says this vast terrain is an ideal target for mobile connectivity directly from Lynk’s LEO satellites as a complement to TPG’s extensive terrestrial mobile network to cover gaps in very remote locations. Lynk Global, based in Falls Church, VA, says that it has sat2phone service agreements with more than 40 mobile network operators around the world.
“Australia’s vast geography and sparse population pose unique challenges for deploying commercially viable mobile networks in remote and regional communities,” comments TPG Telecom CTO, Giovanni Chiarelli. “By connecting smartphones via satellite to existing mobile networks, sat2phone technology has the potential to transform connectivity right across Australia.”
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