直連手機衛星試驗
Airtel Madagascar 於馬達加斯加測試Starlink直連手機服務
Airtel Madagascar 完成一項直連手機試驗，運用 SpaceX 的 Starlink Direct-to-Cell 技術，將一部標準 4G 智能手機，連接至覆蓋地面網絡之外的衛星，並透過此連線進行 WhatsApp 語音及視像通話。此測試於 7 月 11 日在 Sadabe 舉行，使用不具備專用衛星硬件的一般手機，成功展示透過衛星連線進行訊息傳送、串流及社交媒體使用的能力。
此次示範活動，有馬達加斯加電訊監管機構 ARTEC 及數碼發展部官員出席，是 Airtel Africa 與 SpaceX 自 2025 年展開的更廣泛合作的一環。此試驗承接早前於肯尼亞進行的測試，探索手機兼容性、服務類型及應用場景，惟監管審批仍在等待中。
對消費者而言，手機層面的衛星連接技術，承諾在偏遠或受災地區，讓手機在流動基站失靈時，可直接與軌道網絡通訊，確保通訊持續不中斷。此試驗突顯出一個日益明顯的趨勢：將衛星連線疊加於流動網絡之上，以擴大覆蓋範圍及緊急應變韌性。
英文原文
Airtel Madagascar completed a Direct-to-Cell trial using SpaceX’s Starlink Direct-to-Cell, connecting a standard 4G smartphone to satellites beyond terrestrial coverage and featuring WhatsApp voice and video calls over the link. The test, held July 11 in Sadabe, used handsets without specialised satellite hardware and demonstrated messaging, streaming and social access via the satellite connection.
The demonstration included officials from Madagascar’s telecom regulator ARTEC and the ministry of digital development, and forms part of a wider Airtel Africa partnership with SpaceX that began in 2025. The trial followed earlier tests in Kenya and explored handset compatibility, service types and use cases while regulatory approval remains pending.
For consumers, handset-level satellite connectivity promises continuity of communication in remote or disaster-affected areas by letting phones talk directly to orbiting networks when cell towers fail. The trial highlights a growing trend to layer satellite links onto mobile networks to extend coverage and emergency resilience.
- 來源
- Trend Hunter
- 發布
- 2026-08-03
- 品類
- Mobile
- 出處
- telecomstechnews