SpaceX has entered into an agreement with Echostar to acquire 50 MHz exclusive S-band spectrum in the US and Global Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) licenses paving the way for its next generation Starlink Direct to Cell Constellation.
The agreement strengthens Starlink’s ability to expand its mobile coverage worldwide. With the upgraded system, SpaceX aims to deliver full 5G connection to unmodified mobile phones and eliminate mobile dead zones around the world.
Expansion of mobile coverage
Starlinks directly to cell service was first launched in early 2024 with satellites designed to connect directly to standard LTE Mobile devices. Within days of implementation, engineers demonstrated SMS from unmodified phones, followed by video calls. Over the past 18 months, SpaceX has grown the system to more than 600 satellites, now offering service across five continents. Today, Starlink Direct is considered Cell as the largest 4G covering provider worldwide connecting over 6 million users and counting, according to SpaceX in a post.
The constellation is integrated with Starlink’s wider fleet of 8,000 satellites via a laser network. In operation at 360 kilometers (224 miles) above the ground, the satellites are connected directly to devices without hardware or firmware changes. The system already supports messages, video calls, navigation, social media apps and IoT connection in remote areas.
Next generation system
Through its new Echostar Spectrum acquisition, SpaceX plans to develop another generation of constellation with much greater capacity. The upgraded satellites will utilize SpaceX-designed silicon and advanced phase array antennas to increase the flow by 20x per day. Satellite and increase the total system capacity by more than 100x. These improvements are expected to support full 5G -cellular connection in remote areas of performance comparable to terrestrial LTE networks.
Partnerships with larger mobile carriers remain central to Starlink’s expansion. Operators, including T-Mobile in the United States, Rogers in Canada, KDDI in Japan and Kyivstar in Ukraine, integrate directly into cell services for rural coverage and in emergencies. The service has already provided critical communication under hurricanes, floods and fires, making it possible to deliver millions of SMS messages and emergency alerts delivered when ground networks were not available.