Background on Altán Redes and its Direct to Cell Technology
Altán Redes, a Mexican telecommunications company with a majority state-owned capital, has been granted permission to experiment with Direct to Cell technology in Chihuahua. This technology allows mobile phones to connect directly to satellite coverage when traditional cellular networks are unavailable, focusing on messaging and geolocation services. The company aims to enhance its commercial offerings and those of retail operators who purchase capacity from Altán to resell to end-users.
Why Chihuahua and Los Cienes?
Los Cienes, a locality in the municipality of Ojinaga, Chihuahua, was chosen for this experiment due to limited cellular coverage and reliance on fixed broadband and free Wi-Fi access points. With a population of 30,000 people, the area has 2,667 fixed broadband accesses. However, 73% of the existing cellular coverage is 2G, making it difficult for the majority of 19,261 mobile users in Ojinaga and Los Cienes to access cellular internet despite Chihuahua’s overall internet penetration of 102 accesses per 100 inhabitants.
Altán’s Experimentation and AST Spacemobile
Altán has been authorized to experiment with Direct to Cell using the frequency range of 723-728 MHz and 778-783 MHz, supported by AST Spacemobile’s low Earth orbit satellite constellation. Although most of Altán’s traffic operates in the 787-796 MHz range, this experiment poses minimal technical challenges.
AST Spacemobile’s Satellite Constellation
AST Spacemobile currently operates a constellation of 40 satellites and plans to launch an additional 60 by 2026. They hold spectrum licenses in the 1.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz bands, though Altán will use the 700 MHz band for Direct to Cell experiments.
Relevance and Adoption of Direct to Cell
The rapid development of this industry makes Direct to Device services relevant, and the Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT) supports granting enabling titles for studies and viability testing. This service holds significant potential for Mexican regions, allowing users to access internet services via their mobile devices, similar to 4G or 5G.
Current Direct to Cell Providers
- SpaceX’s Starlink: Currently the primary provider of Direct to Cell services, available in the US, Chile, Peru, Japan, and Canada.
- T-Mobile (US): Offers Direct to Cell services in the United States.
- Entel (Chile and Peru): Provides Direct to Cell services in Chile and Peru.
- KDDI (Japan): Offers Direct to Cell services in Japan.
- Rogers (Canada): Provides Direct to Cell services in Canada.
An estimated 190 mobile device models support Direct to Cell technology, with major manufacturers like Huawei, Samsung, Motorola, Honor, Oppo, Google, and Apple offering compatible devices.
