Elon Musk’s Starlink Launches 1st-Ever Cell Service Satellites

[Hamartia Antidote]

MasOrange to Trial Starlink Direct-to-Cell in Spain

Spanish telco MasOrange will trial Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell service under a new agreement with SpaceX announced Monday. The Spanish regulator, the State

www.satellitetoday.com

MasOrange to Trial Starlink Direct-to-Cell in Spain​

Spanish telco MasOrange will trial Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell service under a new agreement with SpaceX announced Monday.

The Spanish regulator, the State Secretariat for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure, granted approval for spectrum assigned to MasOrange to be used for Starlink Direct-to-Cell. This is often called supplemental coverage from space (SCS).

MasOrange plans to carry out a technical pilot in the Spanish province of Valladolid. The telco did not specify timing of the trials or what phones are eligible. Users will be able to use data on their devices to use certain applications as well as messaging services. MasOrange said that Starlink Direct-to-Cell will serve as a network complement, particularly in remote, high mountain, or coastal environments.

“We are very pleased to announce this agreement with Starlink, which reinforces our commitment to innovation and to always offering the best services to our customers through the use of all available technologies,” said Meinrad Spenger, CEO of MasOrange.

Ukrainian telco Kyivstar rolled out service late last year, and Virgin Media has a customer rollout planned for 2026 for a new service in the U.K. enabled by Starlink D2C called O2 Satellite.

MasOrange is partially owned by French telco Orange, which recently announced a deal to acquire the remaining 50% stake from Lorca. That purchase is expected to close in the first half of 2026. Orange currently offers a satellite messaging service working with Skylo on certain Google Pixel smartphones.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Walter Isaacson reveals he has Starlink direct to cell on his phone

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[Yasser76]

Walter Isaacson reveals he has Starlink direct to cell on his phone

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I have some exposure to SpaceX via Scottish Mortgages, this will be an insane IPO. My guess is even though valuation of $2 Trillion may be too high, it may still well top out at above $3 Trillion at the end of the first days trading. Then possibly dip again, that is when I intend to buy. Early July should see another boost when Index tracker funds have to buy SpaceX too

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Madagascar prepares to launch Starlink direct-to-cell mobile services - SatellitePro ME

Starlink Direct to Cell uses specially designed satellites that function essentially as cell towers in space to expand terrestrial coverage into otherwise unreached areas.

satelliteprome.com

Madagascar prepares to launch Starlink direct-to-cell mobile services​

Madagascar is preparing to introduce Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite connectivity services as part of a wider African rollout led by SpaceX and telecom operator Airtel Africa, a move expected to significantly improve mobile coverage in remote and underserved regions of the island nation.

The initiative forms part of Airtel Africa’s partnership with SpaceX to deploy Starlink Direct-to-Cell technology across 14 African markets beginning in 2026. Madagascar is among the countries expected to benefit from the satellite-based service, which allows compatible smartphones to connect directly to satellites without requiring additional hardware or ground-based cellular towers.

The technology is designed to extend connectivity to areas where conventional mobile infrastructure is difficult or uneconomical to deploy. According to Airtel Africa, the first phase of the service will support text messaging and selected data applications, with broader voice and broadband capabilities expected to follow as the satellite network expands.

The system will complement existing terrestrial infrastructure while improving resilience during outages and emergencies.

SpaceX has been rapidly scaling its direct-to-device ambitions through Starlink, launching hundreds of specialised satellites capable of communicating directly with standard smartphones. The company first demonstrated the technology in early 2024 by successfully sending text messages through Starlink satellites using mobile spectrum from telecom partners.

Since then, Starlink has expanded partnerships with telecom operators worldwide, including agreements with VEON in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, while Ukraine is also preparing to launch mobile satellite services using the same technology.

Recent testing carried out by Airtel Africa and SpaceX reportedly demonstrated successful messaging services, light-data applications, and mobile financial transactions through direct satellite links in areas lacking terrestrial coverage.

The rollout comes amid accelerating investment in satellite-to-phone connectivity globally, with SpaceX continuing to expand the Starlink constellation following regulatory approvals for thousands of additional satellites dedicated to next-generation communications services.

Executives at Airtel Africa have described the initiative as a major step toward improving service availability across the continent, while SpaceX has increasingly positioned Starlink Mobile — formerly known as Direct-to-Cell — as a complementary layer to traditional telecom networks rather than a replacement for them.

 

[AZ_HighCountry]

I need to go find the link again. T-Mobile is supposedly offering the service on their phones and network.

If A&T does, then I am set wherever in the world I happen to be at the moment.