• Starlink has renamed its direct-to-device (D2D) service as Starlink Mobile
• It has also announced plans for a new, enhanced constellation dubbed V2
• Deutsche Telekom is the first telco partner for that new constellation

BARCELONA – #MWC26 – SpaceX’s low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite operation Starlink has renamed its direct-to-device (D2D) constellation and service as Starlink Mobile as it prepares to put the next version of its ‘cellphone tower in space’ into orbit.  

Starlink already has 650 D2D satellites in orbit and is providing its service to the likes T-Mobile US, KDDI, Telstra and others. 

But its next generation of satellites, simply called V2, will be capable of delivering mobile broadband data speeds of up to 150 Mbit/s using globally harmonised S-band spectrum and capabilities that give the V2 satellites a 100x data density compared with the current D2D constellation, Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s VP for satellite engineering, told MWC26 attendees during a keynote speech. 

Starlink will start putting its V2 satellites into orbit in mid-2027 using SpaceX’s upcoming Starship rockets and aims to have a constellation of 1,200 V2 satellites in place within six months of the first launch, though it ultimately could have thousands more.    

Starlink’s aim here is to work in partnership with even more mobile operators and not, as has been suggested elsewhere, compete with them.

The first telco to sign up as a V2 partner is Deutsche Telekom, which plans to launch D2D services across several European countries starting in 2028. 

Abdu Mudesir, member of the board of management for product and technology at Deutsche Telekom, noted: “We provide our customers with the best mobile network. And we continue to invest heavily in expanding our infrastructure. At the same time, there are regions where expansion is especially complex due to topographical conditions or official constraints. We want to ensure reliable connectivity for our customers in those areas as well. That is why we are strategically complementing our network with satellite-to-mobile connectivity. For us, it is clear: Connectivity creates security and trust. And we deliver. Everywhere.”

Stephanie Bednarek, VP of Starlink sales, added: “We’re so pleased to bring reliable satellite-to-mobile connectivity to millions of people across 10 countries in partnership with Deutsche Telekom. This agreement will be the first of its kind in Europe to launch Starlink’s V2 next-generation technology that will expand on data, voice and messaging by providing broadband directly to mobile phones.”

News of Starlink’s V2 constellation plans comes only days after one of its main low-earth orbit (LEO) D2D satellite rivals, AST SpaceMobile, provided an update on its wholesale D2D joint venture in Europe, Satellite Connect Europe, which has attracted a number of European telco partners ahead of the service’s launch later this year.  

- Ray Le Maistre, Editorial Director, TelecomTV