Elon Musk-owned satellite broadband internet service provider Starlink will begin beta-testing its direct-to-mobile service on Monday for a project that could shake up the global telecommunications industry.

Direct-to-mobile connectivity allows satellites to act like cellphone towers in space, allowing users in even the most remote areas to connect to broadband internet services from the sky and make telephone calls, all without terrestrial coverage.

“Starlink direct from satellite to cellphone internet connection starts beta test in 3 days,” Musk said in an X post on Friday.

SpaceX in 2024 used a number of its low-Earth-orbit satellite launches to prepare its constellation for a direct-to-mobile offering. Thirteen of the 20 satellites SpaceX launched into into orbit in June 2024, for example, had direct-to-mobile capability. Ten days later, another 20 satellites were added to the constellation with 13 of those also able to connect to mobile phones directly.

According to Starlink, which is still not available in South Africa, satellites with direct-to-mobile support have an advanced eNodeB modem that acts like a cellular tower in space, allowing network integration similar to the way a standard roaming partner would connect to a cellular network.

Still in its infancy, direct-to-mobile technology will cover low-bandwidth use cases like text messaging for emergencies in its early stages. Higher-bandwidth applications such as voice and video calling are expected to come later as the technology matures. Starlink also plans to introduce a satellite-based internet-of-things service this year.

Competitors

Competitors in the direct-to-mobile space include frontrunner Lynk Global, Amazon’s Project Kuiper and AST SpaceMobile, a Texas-based satellite provider that is 5% owned by Vodacom Group parent Vodafone Group. Partnerships between terrestrial mobile operators and satellite-based broadband companies are becoming commonplace.

Mobile operators benefit by getting the ability to expand their networks in remote and rural areas, where infrastructure roll-out is more expensive and less profitable. Satellite service providers like Starlink, on the other hand, benefit by expanding their reach around the world without having to invest in customer-facing systems. Partnering also helps them avoid the regulatory overheads mobile operators are often subjected to.

Read: Direct-to-mobile will outpace broadband satellite: experts

Direct from satellite to mobile capability, however, threatens a shake-up in the global telecoms landscape: if satellite broadband providers purchased their own spectrum, they could, in theory, compete directly with terrestrial mobile operators.

Speaking to journalists last November, MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita said MTN was “very aware” of the challenges of having to compete as a fixed and wireless operator with LEO satellites.

“LEO operators should be treated the same as terrestrial operators such as ourselves: [they should be] subjected to the same regulatory requirements, whether it’s around data privacy, data transport, localisation or access to spectrum,” Mupita said. “Our ask is that there just be a level playing ground.” — © 2025 NewsCentral Media

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