STARLINK DIRECT TO CELL SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE
The objective of Starlink’s Direct to Cell network is to provide ubiquitous global connectivity by eliminating traditional mobile dead zones through satellite-to-mobile technology. One year after the first Direct to Cell enabled satellites were launched into orbit, the Starlink Direct to Cell messaging service is now live in the United States and New Zealand, with more countries to come in the year ahead. This milestone required the Starlink team to overcome numerous technical and regulatory challenges to connect Starlink satellites directly to 4G LTE mobile phones. As a result of these achievements, satellite messaging service is now available for T-Mobile and OneNZ customers, providing connectivity in previously unreachable areas. SpaceX will expand our global rollout of satellite-to-mobile technology in additional countries in 2025 and work towards providing additional services for IoT devices, data, and
voice.
Starlink Direct to Cell service is now commercially available in the United States and New Zealand, enabling satellite messaging service for 4G LTE mobile phones. Over the past year, SpaceX has rapidly scaled the Direct to Cell network, launching a constellation of over 400 satellites. In 2024, millions of messages were sent through Starlink Direct to Cell during Beta testing and in emergency scenarios to mprovide critical connectivity to the public. The availability of the commercial messaging service is the first step in our vision of eliminating mobile dead zones and providing ubiquitous global connectivity using satellite-to-mobile technology.
Since the first Starlink Direct to Cell satellites were launched in January 2024, SpaceX has made mnumerous technical and regulatory achievements to reach the start of service. As opposed to terrestrial networks which rely on traditional cell towers stationed on Earth, Starlink Direct to Cell uses specially designed satellites that function essentially as cell towers in space to expand terrestrial coverage into otherwise unreached areas. Starlink Direct to Cell equipped satellites orbit a few hundred kilometers above Earth’s surface and fly at tens of thousands of kilometers per hour relative to users on the ground. This creates unique challenges, including the need to account for doppler shift, latency, and overcoming the low antenna gain and transmit power of terrestrial devices. Addressing these obstacles required rapid innovation from the Starlink team, including the development and engineering of new phased array antennas, custom silicon, and complex software algorithms to optimize beam size andplacement. This development in satellite engineering alongside our leadership in rocket and satellite
launch has allowed SpaceX to scale Starlink Direct to Cell and begin service less than one year after them first satellites reached orbit.
In collaboration with mobile network operator partners around the world, we have performed rapid network integration and rigorous testing leading up to commercial service. Major technical milestones include the first successful SMS test within nine days of the first satellite launch, successful video calls on X and WhatsApp, and successful data testing of CAT-1 IoT devices. Our partners operate terrestrial telecommunication networks and provide LTE spectrum in the 1.6 – 2.7 GHz range that we use to transmit our satellite signals. This allows Starlink to integrate like a standard roaming partner with operators, and together we provide services directly to wireless subscribers.
In response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton and the Los Angeles wildfires, SpaceX was granted special authority by the FCC to enable Starlink Direct to Cell service in the impacted regions in partnership with T-Mobile. This enabled T-Mobile subscribers in the impacted regions to send text messages through Starlink Direct to Cell satellites when outside of terrestrial coverage and for Wireless Emergency Alerts to be transmitted to all wireless subscribers who were within satellite coverage.
In November 2024, after extensive testing, SpaceX was granted FCC approval for Starlink Direct to Cellmcommercial service within the United States, a key regulatory milestone to provide satellite-to-mobile connectivity. Starlink Direct to Cell is now available to users in the U.S. with T-Mobile and in New Zealand to users with One NZ. SpaceX also continues to test with operator partners in Australia, Canada, Chile, and Japan, and will begin testing in additional regions soon.
In 2025, we are preparing for commercial launches with mobile network operators in countries around the world, including Australia, Ukraine, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, Peru, and Japan. As we look ahead, we are focused on increasing our satellite-to-mobile coverage through an expanded global rollout, providing additional support for IoT devices, data, and voice to come
Starlink Direct to Cell satellites orbiting Earth
