Federal Communications Commission

The company, which currently operates 650 Direct-to-Device satellites, plans to expand that fleet to 15,000 satellites pending approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Under the proposed timeline, SpaceX targets launching the new satellites and beginning service by late 2027, with emergency data services rolling out in the third quarter of that year, followed by voice call support in subsequent months. The company aims to achieve globally seamless coverage, including polar regions, by the end of 2028. To meet this schedule, SpaceX will rely on the high payload capacity of its Starship rocket. The planned 150 Mbps speeds would require smartphone makers like Apple, Samsung, and Google to integrate hardware supporting new radio frequency bands, with compatible devices expected to hit the commercial market in late 2027. SpaceX plans to acquire strategic radio frequencies from EchoStar, with that purchase expected to close by November 30, 2027. The company stresses it will not compete with traditional mobile operators, will not create its own independent carrier service, and will not make exclusive deals with any single company, instead offering Starlink Mobile as an open platform for all carriers.