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Starlink Mobile Debuts as European Carriers Line Up Satellite-to-Phone Partnerships

SpaceX targets a mid‑2027 mass deployment using Starship to scale direct‑to‑phone coverage.

Ristra de satélites Starlink antes de ser puestos en órbita; la nueva versión que llegará al espacio en 2027 incorpora antenas 5G
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Recreación de uno de los satélites de AST SpaceMobile.
La meta es superar los 25 millones de usuarios hacia fines de 2026. En cuanto al lanzamiento, la empresa estadounidense planea expulsar el primer lote de satélites de segunda generación a mediados de 2027. 

Overview

  • - SpaceX presented Starlink Mobile at MWC 2026 as a direct-to-cell service for standard smartphones, with claimed speeds up to 150 Mbps and integration under 3GPP standards.
  • - The company plans to begin launching a larger next-generation Starlink fleet in mid‑2027 using Starship, aiming to deploy roughly 1,200 satellites within six months, subject to vehicle readiness.
  • - European operators moved to integrate satellite links as a resilience and coverage layer: Telefónica is negotiating with Satellite Connect Europe for Spain and Germany, VMO2 agreed with Starlink in the UK, MasOrange is piloting Starlink in Spain, and Vodafone España is using Satellite Connect technology.
  • - Deutsche Telekom announced an agreement with SpaceX to extend mobile service in hard‑to‑cover areas across its European footprint.
  • - SpaceX says nearly 10,000 Starlink satellites are in orbit with about 650 direct‑to‑cell capable today and around 10 million monthly active users, and Bloomberg reports the company is preparing a confidential IPO filing this month, which SpaceX has not confirmed.