Advanced Television

Lynk: “Satellite phone service this spring”

January 16, 2023

By Chris Forrester

Lynk Global saw two additional satellites launched aboard a SpaceX rocket on January 3rd. These pair mean that Lynk now has three operational satellites in orbit and the company says it is ready to start offering direct satellite-to-phone services very shortly, according to CEO Charles Miller.

The company is also reported to be close to a new funding exercise and cash inflow.

Initially, Lynk will focus on Text-based services and the operator has called its latest satellites Lynk Towers in order to resemble cellular operators and their functionality. They will, in effect, operate as roaming partners for cellular operators.

Lynk has cellular relationships in place with 25 carriers. Lynk has FCC permission to launch up to 10 satellites and is looking to launch another two or three satellites in May or June.

“We’re shooting for April [to launch commercial service],” Miller said during a press interview. “There are three technical boxes that we need to check off before we get to that, but we could have initial commercial service as soon as April.”

But the company has far wider ambitions than an initial ten satellites, and is looking for around and initial 1,000 satellites by 2025 as part of a scheme to deploy about 5,000 craft into orbit for which it already has a filing with the FCC.

However, it admits it needs more investment capital and Miller says Lynk is looking for somebody to write a very large cheque, and adds that FCC approval would quickly flow for more satellites.

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