Deutsche Telekom aims to bring Starlink Mobile V2 to Europe in 2028
TAMPA, Fla. - Deutsche Telekom plans to deliver Europe's first direct-to-smartphone services via upgraded Starlink satellites in 2028, aiming to use Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum to bring 5G speeds to remote areas across 10 countries.
The German telecoms giant announced the partnership March 2 for SpaceX's Starlink Mobile service, formerly known as Direct-to-Cell, which currently uses spectrum from cellular partners and more than 650 satellites to connect subscribers in the United States, Canada and several other countries.
Services are currently limited to text messaging, voice and certain apps on select devices.
However, SpaceX has asked U.S. regulators for permission to deploy up to 15,000 Starlink Mobile V2 spacecraft designed to also operate in MSS spectrum, enabling what it says would be 20 times more throughput as it targets peak speeds of up to 150 megabits per second per user.
The first batch of V2 satellites is slated for launch around mid-2027 aboard SpaceX's in-development Starship rocket, according to remarks by Michael Nicolls, SpaceX vice president of satellite engineering, during Mobile World Congress March 2 in Barcelona, Spain.
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Each Starship could carry more than 50 satellites, Nicolls added, enabling deployment of the roughly 1,200 satellites needed for continuous global coverage within six months.
SpaceX is also awaiting regulatory approval to acquire EchoStar's MSS spectrum, which underpins plans to provide the next-generation services in Europe. Handset makers must also develop and integrate chips capable of using the frequencies from space.
EchoStar completed a key regulatory milestone last year to maintain rights to its global MSS spectrum, but portions of the 2 gigahertz band are due for renewal in Europe next year.
The renewal has attracted direct-to-smartphone challengers such as U.S.-based AST SpaceMobile, which has teamed up with Vodafone, one of Deutsche Telekom's main European rivals, to use the frequencies for a sovereign satellite network.
Deutsche Telekom is also the majority owner of T-Mobile US, which was the first operator to commercially launch Starlink's direct-to-smartphone service, using cellular spectrum in the United States.
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