By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. The paper has also revealed that direct-to-cellular signals were stable over the analyzed period and the network was not congested, seemingly because usage was limited to SMS during that time. That said, since the signal strength is lower compared to LTE, a phone's battery may deplete faster when it's connected to a satellite. The researchers used Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) to conclude that T-Mobile and SpaceX's data service will offer speeds of 4 Mbps outdoors, which will only be enough for basic connectivity needs in remote areas. Based on SINR measurements, we estimate a current mean throughput of approximately 4 Mbps, which is functional for basic services but significantly below terrestrial averages. —Universidad Politecnica de Madrid The speed could increase to up to 24 Mbps in the future, considering the FCC updated the out-of-band emissions limits for T-Mobile in March. TMF Associates's Tim Farrar points out that "the paper [incorrectly] assumes 10dB SINR improvement to calculate the higher theoretical capacity," so 24 Mbps is a very optimistic and possibly unrealistic theoretical maximum speed. Recommended Stories Looking ahead, throughput and performance may improve to 24 Mbps with higher radiated power (as recently authorized by the FCC), wider bandwidth allocation, and continued constellation expansion. However, these enhancements will depend on regulatory developments —particularly spectrum access— and on the evolution of service demand. —Universidad Politecnica de Madrid Regardless, the data service may fall short of expectations initially, but the speeds could improve over time. SpaceX CEO had hinted at a peak download speed of 17Mbps in 2024 All in all,