Mobile telephony is about to take a major turn: Coverage will no longer depend solely on antennas on the ground, but also on satellites acting as 5G towers in space.SpaceX has taken advantage of the Mobile World Congress de Barcelona to detail what Starlink Mobile will be like, its 5G satellite proposal that aims to make the user feel the connection almost as if they were connected to a conventional mobile network.
Far from being a simple emergency function, the company's plan involves offering Voice, data, video and messaging at speeds up to 150 Mbps directly to your mobile phoneeven in places where there isn't even a bar of coverage today. The key lies in a new generation of satellites and agreements with operators in each country, with Spain in the front row thanks to MásOrange.
From Direct to Cell to Starlink Mobile: from emergency SMS to full 5G
What we now know as Starlink Mobile It began in the United States under the name of Direct to Cella service initially designed for messages and calls in areas without terrestrial networkThis first batch of mobile satellites operates with 4G technology adapted to space and already allows basic services, although with modest speeds and focused on text and low-intensity data.
With the rebranding to Starlink Mobile, SpaceX wants to make it clear that it's entering a different league: a satellite constellation designed from scratch to behave as a non-terrestrial 5G network (5G NTN)The company claims that, outdoors and with good sky visibility, the user experience can be "identical" to that of a high-performance 5G terrestrial network, at least outside the most saturated urban areas.
In this initial phase, Starlink already has approximately 650 satellites prepared for mobile service within its constellation of thousands of units in low Earth orbit. That network It started by offering only text messages. in 2024 and has been adding capabilities of data, voice and video calls...until reaching millions of unique monthly mobile users, especially in the United States and other countries where it has already been deployed.
The next step is to scale up from this first adapted 4G generation to a second generation fully 5Gcapable of supporting demanding applications, smooth navigation and uninterrupted streaming, while maintaining compatibility with conventional phones.
V2 and V3 satellites: 5G towers in orbit with up to 150 Mbps to mobile
To make this leap viable, Starlink will rely on its second generation satellites V2and later in the much more powerful V3. According to the technical data presented by the company, these new satellites will operate like authentic 5G base stations in space, using the 3GPP NR-NTN standard and technologies such as MIMO along with significantly larger antennas than those currently available.
This combination allows for a significant increase in link capacity: SpaceX says multiply the performance by 20 compared to its first generation and reach, in good condition, speeds close to 150 Mbps for a userIn practical terms, this should allow Enjoy direct satellite coverage on your mobile phone: fast browsing, heavy apps, video calls and high-quality video in places where there is now little or no coverage or even antennas.
In parallel, the company is deploying an even larger infrastructure with satellites. Starlink V3These satellites, designed to strengthen both high-speed residential service and mobile capabilities, are large and have significantly greater power. drastically increase the data density available to mobile usersThis is key if they want to serve a population that, on paper, could exceed 1.700 billion people; moreover, they will have to compete with competitors like China who also plan mega-constellations.
The idea is not to replace terrestrial networks, but to complement them: Ground-based antennas will continue to be unbeatable in capacity per area in urban centers.while the satellite network will focus on those gaps where it is not profitable today or it is technically very complicated to deploy traditional infrastructure: secondary roads, mountains, coasts, isolated villages or remote areas.
Starship's role: 1.200 mobile satellites in six months
The massive rollout of Starlink Mobile depends directly on Starship, the reusable rocket SpaceX's high-capacity V2 and V3 satellites are so bulky and heavy that it is not feasible to assemble a global mobile constellation using only smaller launchers like the Falcon 9.
SpaceX has marked the second half of 2027 on the calendar as the key moment: From then on, it wants to launch more than 50 V2 satellites per flightwith an eye toward deploying around 1.200 satellites dedicated to mobile connectivity in a period of just six months. That figure is what the company considers necessary to guarantee global and virtually continuous coverage, from pole to pole.
Along with the increase in number, each unit of this new generation offers a much greater data capacity than its predecessors, which has an impact on greater individual bandwidth for each user and on a network capable of supporting more mobile devices connected simultaneouslyThe company already has authorization to continue significantly increasing the number of satellites in low Earth orbit, with the goal of completely eliminating areas without coverage.
All of this fits with Starlink's business strategy, which seeks to consolidate itself as key piece of the global telecommunications infrastructureIn addition to its fixed broadband service, the company expects direct-to-mobile internet to be one of the major growth drivers in the next decade; in fact, there are already signs of this. how to present your offers in markets like Argentina.
Spain, a European testing ground: the pilot program with MásOrange
In the European context, Spain has a leading role in Starlink Mobile's roadmapThe country will be the first on the continent to officially test the mobile service in partnership with More OrangeThis is the result of the merger between Orange and MásMóvil. Both companies have announced a pilot program in Valladolid to evaluate the technology before a possible commercial launch.
In this project, MásOrange is giving part of its spectrum to Starlink to offer satellite connectivity where the terrestrial network does not reachThe idea is that, if the user enters a dead zone without antenna coverage, the mobile phone can automatically connect to the Starlink Mobile signal and continue communicating as if nothing had happened, without having to change SIM cards or make complicated adjustments.
To take advantage of this type of service, You don't need a "special" mobile phone with external antennasBut it is a relatively modern device. SpaceX mentions compatibility since iPhone 13 onwards, alongside recent models of Google Pixel, Motorola Edge and Razr or Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Z Fold/Flipamong others. The list grows as manufacturers update their modems and add support for the necessary standards.
However, the commercial launch will also depend on the regulatory permitsIn Spain, the Ministry must formally authorize the use of certain mobile frequencies from space, something that is still under review. Until then, trials like the one in Valladolid will serve to verify the service's actual performance on the ground.
Alliances in Europe and Latin America: Deutsche Telekom, Entel and other partners
Beyond Spain, SpaceX is weaving a network of agreements with mobile operators on different continents to facilitate the launch of Starlink Mobile. In Europe, one of the most important alliances is the one reached with Deutsche Telekom, which has confirmed its intention to use the second generation of Starlink's mobile service to offer 5G coverage in remote areas of 10 European countries starting in 2028.
This strategy also extends to Latin America. SpaceX has announced an agreement with Entel in Chile and Peru to cover rural areas and regions underserved by current networks, and has announced that it already has a confirmed operator in Mexico, presumably within the América Móvil ecosystem. The common goal in all these cases is the same: to fill the coverage gaps of traditional mobile networks with an integrated satellite layer.
In the official discourse, Starlink insists that It does not intend to replace telecoms, but to become a key allyThe service is conceived as part of a hybrid network that combines terrestrial 4G/5G capabilities with connectivity from low orbitFor the end user, the ideal is that the change between one and the other is seamless: the mobile would always remain connected, automatically choosing the best option available at any given time.
This approach comes in parallel with other movements in the sector: large groups such as Telefónica is also exploring solutions de Direct connectivity to mobile via satellite with different partners, seeking to strengthen coverage in remote areas or in exceptional situations. The result is an ecosystem in which Non-terrestrial networks are beginning to be seen as a natural complement to the mobile infrastructures already deployed..
Frequencies, 5G NTN standard and compatible mobiles
Starlink Mobile's leap to "real" 5G from space doesn't depend solely on putting more satellites into orbit: Spectrum usage and technical standards are equally importantSpaceX has acquired spectrum in the S band and in the n256 band around 2.100 MHz, in much of the planet, which allows it to operate under the umbrella of the 3GPP standard for non-terrestrial 5G networks (NR-NTN).
Working with a global standard has two clear advantages. On the one hand, It facilitates the integration of satellite connectivity into mobile phones and operator networks.This is because it relies on known 5G technologies (such as MIMO or FDD) adapted to the specific characteristics of a link with a moving satellite. Furthermore, it opens the door for... Chip and smartphone manufacturers incorporate native 5G support NTN in their upcoming models.
In fact, SpaceX claims to already be collaborating with some of the leading silicon suppliers on the market. The goal is that Future mobile processors will include standard support for bands such as n256This will allow a standard smartphone to communicate directly with satellites without requiring additional hardware. In the medium term, this capability is expected to be integrated into a significant portion of the mid-range and high-end mobile phone market.
Meanwhile, the first generation of Starlink Mobile continues to rely on existing LTE and 5G mobile phones, provided they have the necessary bands and features. In theory, the user will only need to contract a plan that includes satellite service and be in an area with visibility of the sky so that the phone can connect when the landline fails.
From no coverage to everyday spatial broadband
Starlink Mobile's approach addresses a very specific problem that any mobile user is familiar with: the impossibility of covering 100% of the territory with terrestrial towersWhether due to cost, terrain, or simply a lack of commercial interest, there are always gaps in coverage maps, especially in rural areas, mountainous regions, or on road routes far from population centers.
SpaceX's promise is that, with its network of low-Earth orbit satellites, These "white" areas will gradually disappear from the mapWhere today the phone loses coverage completely, the idea is that it can connect to Starlink Mobile and continue functioning much like it would on a conventional 5G network. Latency will be higher than in a nearby urban cell, but low enough to allow video calls, real-time messaging, and use of demanding applications.
In practice, that means that road trips, excursions to the mountains, routes through rural areas or stays in isolated villages This allows for seamless connectivity. It also opens the door to professional applications in sectors such as transportation, logistics, energy, and agriculture, where reliable connectivity is crucial and traditional infrastructure is not always available.
At the same time, the satellite network is emerging as a very valuable backup in emergency situationsThis is especially relevant when terrestrial infrastructure is affected by natural disasters or other incidents. While specific services already exist in this area, direct integration into mobile devices multiplies the potential reach and reduces the need for dedicated equipment.
If SpaceX's timeline holds true, the second half of this decade will be marked by the gradual arrival of 5G-compatible mobile phones, agreements with European operators such as MásOrange and Deutsche Telekom, and the deployment of thousands of satellites capable of acting as 5G towers in orbitEverything suggests that, in a few years, talking about "losing coverage" will be much less common than it is today.
