Satellite internet: Apple planned competition with Musks Starlink

Apple is said to have had its own satellite internet service ten years ago. That reports that Expert magazine the information From the Silicon Valley, citing informed circles. The project was initially planned in collaboration with Boeing, with a possible start date in 2019. However, it was no longer possible, the so -called Project Eagle was not pursued due to too high costs. Finally, Apple decided to work with partners such as global star to implement simple satellite notes for the iPhone, including the transmission of text messages and location data.

Adler did not come up

“Project Eagle” was therefore high up-with the former hardware engineering boss Dan Riccio. In 2018 there were discussions with satellite internet providers like OneWeb, but it said that a regular internet service for private customers would cost between $ 30 and $ 40 billion. Apple therefore decided to switch to the emergency call function that With the iPhone 14 was implemented for the first time from 2022.

In 2023, Apple is said to have again considered offering “real” internet at least for iPhones with a new satellite generation. However, that would have been significantly more price-intensive than Apple’s current “emergency call” contract with global star. Since Apple was also afraid to make such a offer to the mobile phone partners with such an offer, nothing came of it. Customers still pay nothing for the satellite emergency call, in the USA and Canada Text messages, emojis and reactions via iMessage and SMS send. Apple is currently supposed to spend “hundreds of million dollars” for satellite function a year. Managers such as software chief Craig Federighi are said to have suggested to hire the service, since such offers would better fit mobile phone providers.

Dispute with Elon Musk

The Information continues to report that there were apparently massive conflicts between Apple and Starlink or his boss Elon Musk. Musk wanted SpaceX to provide the iPhone with satellite internet, supposedly for introductory costs of $ 5 billion for $ 18 months. Then he wanted to collect one billion dollars. There is said to have been a direct threat that Musk cooperates with mobile phone providers – which actually happened.

In the USA, Starlink cooperates with T-Mobile from the iPhone 14th Musk is said to have asked Apple to compatible older iPhones. There was also a legal dispute between Starlink / SpaceX and Globalstar: The accusation is that global star does not use frequencies that are granted and still acquire new ones that are then no longer entitled to others.