Direct-to-phone satellite operator, Lynk Global, announced that Telikom Limited, the state telecommunications company of Papua New Guinea, has begun offering Lynk's Sat2Phone service to its subscribers. Initially, the Sat2Phone service in Papua New Guinea will only support SMS messaging. This is because Lynk currently has only three LEOsats (low Earth orbit satellites) in orbit to support the service, out of a planned constellation of 5,000.
However, Lynk stated that once enough LEOsats are deployed, Telikom will be able to expand the service to include voice and broadband capabilities. Telikom CEO, Amos Tepi, stated that the initial service will begin in the Hela Province and will extend in 2024 and beyond, allowing Telikom to better serve both new and existing subscribers.
Tepi also mentioned that Lynk's network deployment will provide continuous mobile coverage, surpassing the limitations of traditional terrestrial mobile towers. Lynk has signed commercial agreements with 36 Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) worldwide, with the most recent agreement being made in November 2023 with bmobile, an operator owned by Telikom, in the Solomon Islands.
In addition, Lynk launched initial services in Ghana, Palau, and the Cook Islands last year. Furthermore, Lynk has two more satellites scheduled for launch in the first quarter of this year through SpaceX. The company's goal is to have enough satellites for global coverage by 2025.
