Earlier this evening SpaceX and T-Mobile announced a new global cellphone service would debut in 2023, with V2 Starlink satellites.
Now, after queries from Tesla owners, Elon Musk has clarified that Starlink access is coming to Tesla vehicles.
“Will Tesla cars get this feature too in the future to connect directly to Starlink satellites for emergency calls/texts?”, asked Dave Lee. Musk replied with “yes.”
Yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2022
“Will Tesla be getting this service as well with the Premium Connectivity?”, asked @teslaownersSV. Musk replied with “yes”.
Yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2022
The ability for Starlink access for Tesla cars to make calls and texts in emergency situations would bring another advantage of the company’s vehicles, especially in areas of zero cell signal, or during natural and extreme disasters that take out cell towers.
As Starlink V2 eventually ramps up data speeds beyond 2-4 Mbps, Tesla should theoretically be able to offer connectivity directly to its vehicles, bypassing third-party cell partners, or relying less on them.
It’s unclear if existing Tesla vehicles will support this future Starlink cellphone service, so that remains to be seen. It’s also unclear if the price of Premium Connectivity will increase with Starlink, or if it will remain the same.
