Key Takeaways
1. SpaceX plans to launch a standalone Starlink Mobile 5G network to compete with major carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon after acquiring EchoStar’s DISH spectrum.
2. The company aims to deploy up to 15,000 new direct-to-cell (D2C) satellites, significantly increasing its current satellite count to enhance mobile connectivity.
3. The new V3 satellites will offer high speeds, with download rates reaching 1 Tbps and upload rates of 160 Gbps, significantly surpassing existing capacities.
4. Initial service will provide 4G LTE speeds ranging from 5 Mbps to 100 Mbps, with future upgrades allowing for download speeds up to 150 Mbps on mobile devices.
5. SpaceX plans to enhance coverage in remote areas, including northern latitudes, and is collaborating with chip manufacturers to integrate Starlink connectivity into mobile devices.
After acquiring EchoStar’s DISH spectrum, SpaceX has set its sights high. Elon Musk has stated that the company plans to roll out a standalone Starlink Mobile 5G network to compete with major terrestrial carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon.
Expanding Satellite Network
In order to achieve this goal, SpaceX must deploy a significantly larger number of satellites that can communicate directly with 5G devices. They have received authorization to populate low-earth orbit with as many as 15,000 direct-to-cell (D2C) or direct-to-device (D2D) satellites, increasing from the approximately 650 currently in orbit.
It’s important to note that the Starlink Mobile 5G phone service will only become a reality when SpaceX begins sending the V3 satellites into orbit using its Starship 3 rocket. The V3 satellites, when their solar panels are extended, are comparable in size to a Boeing 737 and boast 20 times the throughput capacity of the existing V2 D2C satellites, delivering speeds of 1 Tbps for downloads and 160 Gbps for uploads per satellite.
High-Speed Internet Access
This advancement will not only enable the rollout of Starlink’s gigabit-speed Internet, for which it already has a Performance dish available, but it will also provide users with download speeds of up to 150 Mbps on their phones, as explained by SpaceX’s satellite policy head during a presentation to an ITU panel.
Interestingly, this anticipated Starlink Mobile 5G download speed surpasses the 100 Mbps that was previously mentioned during the early discussions about becoming a cellular provider beaming data from space, rather than just serving as an emergency connectivity solution like T-Mobile Satellite.
Following the DISH spectrum acquisition, SpaceX emphasized that Starlink’s carrier service would enhance the coverage of “high-capacity terrestrial 5G networks” but would initially deliver 4G LTE speeds. In practical terms, these speeds can range from 5 Mbps to 100 Mbps, similar to the early 5G rollout experiences by T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. This is akin to the performance offered by the Starlink Mini kit, which retails for $329 on Amazon, but delivered directly to users’ phones without requiring a dish through Starlink’s “cell phone towers in the sky,” according to the presentation.
Future Developments and Coverage
Currently, SpaceX’s Udrivolf Pica is optimistic that Starlink will utilize both the Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum at the 2 GHz band and the ITU spectrum to enhance coverage once the deal with EchoStar concludes towards the end of 2027. The timing is said to be “perfect for the readiness of the device ecosystem and support for the 3GPP band n256,” Pica mentioned, hinting at SpaceX’s collaborations with mobile chip manufacturers such as Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Samsung to integrate direct Starlink satellite Internet connectivity into their chipset modems.
This spectrum arrangement will enable Starlink Mobile to extend its reach to “northern latitudes,” including the arctic and subarctic boreal forests and tundra that often lack connectivity, providing satellite internet at speeds of 150 Mbps for each subscriber.
While details regarding the Starlink Mobile subscription price remain undisclosed, AST, which also showcased its future direct-to-device service plan at the panel, indicated that they are considering various pricing options, including both long- and short-term subscriptions, as well as daily passes.
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