Elon Musk’s SpaceX has won permission to launch and operate 15,000 satellites that can connect directly to ordinary smartphones, potentially turning Starlink into a serious competitor to established mobile operators.
According to TechSpot, the US Federal Communications Commission approved the Starlink Mobile application on 6 October, clearing the way for a dedicated satellite network offering voice calls, messaging and internet connectivity without requiring specialised handsets. The regulator granted SpaceX permission to operate using frequencies acquired from EchoStar and spectrum associated with existing mobile partnerships.
The FCC waived a requirement that would have forced SpaceX to lease spectrum from a conventional mobile operator before providing certain satellite wireless services. That gives Musk’s outfit a route towards selling mobile connectivity directly to customers, potentially upsetting AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, which have spent decades building terrestrial networks.
The new constellation is separate from SpaceX’s existing second-generation Starlink broadband network, which received approval for 15,000 satellites in January. Between the two authorisations, the company has permission for 30,000 spacecraft, although that figure excludes its original Starlink constellation.
Starlink Mobile satellites will operate in very low Earth orbit, at altitudes between 326km and 335km. Flying closer to Earth reduces signal losses and communication delays, making it easier to connect directly to conventional smartphones without enormous antennas or special receiving equipment.
SpaceX already provides limited direct-to-device services using approximately 650 satellites, primarily supporting messaging and basic data connectivity. The next-generation system is intended to support ordinary voice calls, web browsing and video streaming, with performance approaching terrestrial 5G networks.
The company claims its new technology could deliver speeds approaching 150Mb/s to individual users, although those figures are right up there with Musk’s affordable robots in everyone’s house. Real-world performance will depend on satellite capacity, network congestion and the number of people attempting to connect simultaneously.
SpaceX president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell recently told investors that the combination of next-generation satellites and EchoStar spectrum could deliver a hundredfold improvement compared with the existing system. The company expects to begin launching the new spacecraft in 2027, with commercial services targeted for the end of that year.
Traditional mobile operators have been quick to dismiss the threat, with Verizon chief executive Dan Schulman expressing scepticism about satellite companies becoming serious competitors. That may prove optimistic if Starlink succeeds in providing reliable coverage in areas where conventional mobile networks struggle to justify building expensive infrastructure.
The FCC has given SpaceX until October 2035 to complete the constellation, leaving the company with a substantial manufacturing and launch programme. SpaceX will need to deploy thousands of satellites, establish reliable connections to ordinary phones and demonstrate that its service can handle more demanding applications before the mobile industry’s existing giants have much reason to panic.
