Stony Brook, New York, October 25th / PRNewswire / -- After Starlink announced its entry into the mobile communications sector, the consulting team of Haloid conducted a survey among land mobile radio ( LMR ) administrators from governments and enterprises, asking whether Starlink could replace or complement their existing LMR systems. The results showed that most radio administrators were open to this emerging technology, but they did not believe it would replace the current LMR networks.
67% of radio administrators stated that if Starlink could expand its coverage range or reduce infrastructure costs, they would be willing to integrate it into their existing systems. When asked whether Starlink could completely replace LMR networks, less than 15% replied "yes"; the vast majority of respondents believed that Starlink was not as reliable as the customized networks they had already established. However, among administrators who are already using cellular network intercoms (also known as cellular push-to-talk or PoC), nearly 80% said that the satellite coverage of Starlink combined with its newly acquired cellular spectrum would make it more attractive than the industry's existing wireless communication service providers, as it could eliminate blind spots that cellular networks cannot cover.
In the United States, hundreds of thousands of radio users rely on traditional cellular operators for two-way communication, and this number is growing every year. Although the shift to cellular network-based two-way communication has affected the LMR industry, it has not completely replaced it. Many public safety agencies have never switched to this mode, due to concerns that cellular networks may experience interruptions during bad weather, power outages, or cyberattacks, which could jeopardize emergency communications.
In fact, during recent cellular network disruptions, Starlink was used to provide emergency communications to affected areas because its satellite connection is not dependent on base stations. However, the integration of Starlink with 800 and MHz cellular spectrum – which some experts refer to as “Starlink 2.0” – has also exposed it to some of the same vulnerabilities as traditional wireless operators.
Although the satellite services of Starlink may still be operational when local base stations are shut down, a critical part of a certain organization's communications may rely on local base stations that use 800 MHz spectrum. This means that the organization may still be at risk during storms or disruptions.
See evolution, not disruption.
Haloid Solutions President Jeremy Alicandri stated: "Just as cellular networks did not replace LMR, we do not believe that Starlink will pose a threat to survival." He expects that Starlink will accelerate the industry's evolution towards shared communication infrastructure, which is what is known as hybrid LMR. "We already have public safety customers using Starlink in vehicles to expand their radio coverage. As Starlink devices become more widespread, this trend will continue."
The stock prices of Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT &T have been affected by the recent announcements of Starlink. However, L3Harris, JVCKENWOOD, and BK Technologies (the manufacturer of the Bendix King brand), as well as other LMR-related stocks, have not been affected. This is because Wall Street believes that, for the same reasons why cellular networks were unable to replace LMR back then, it is unlikely that Starlink will be able to replace LMR technology. Alicandri added, "But it may still be too early to predict the industry winners and losers at this point. Existing cellular operators have many advantages, including low-cost equipment, existing infrastructure, and their own satellite ambitions."
About Haloid Solutions Research
The Starlink survey of Haloid is based on respondents from its LMR brand loyalty study, which measures the views of radio administrators regarding device ownership and after-sales experience. The LMR research of Haloid is sponsored by investors in the mission-critical communications sector.
