You can get Starlink Mobile on your phone today only through a partner carrier. In the United States, the partner is T-Mobile, whose T-Satellite service handles texts, data for select apps and app-based calls. SpaceX’s own direct Starlink Mobile carrier network has no announced price, retail plan, or launch date. It depends on next-generation satellites approved by regulators in October 2026 and an unclosed nationwide 800 MHz spectrum acquisition.
Starlink Mobile is the updated name for SpaceX’s direct-to-cell service, which places orbital cell towers in low Earth orbit to communicate with standard LTE smartphones across dead zones. It is completely separate from dish-based portable satellite internet, which operates under Starlink pricing plans for Roam hardware starting at $55 a month.
Can You Get Starlink Mobile Today?
You can access Starlink Mobile today exclusively through commercial mobile network operators rather than directly from SpaceX. In the United States, access is sold as T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service, which is included on top-tier cellular plans and available for a limited-time price of $10 per month on other lines as of October 2026. The full setup steps, regional boundaries, and plan rules appear in OrbitalIntel’s guide to T-Mobile T-Satellite service.
The commercial service functions with ordinary LTE handsets wherever you maintain a clear view of the open sky. According to the official Starlink Mobile overview, the network connects through 650 launched satellites in low Earth orbit as of October 2026. Data is available on more than 40 apps and more than 100 devices.
Voice communication functions through third-party data applications like WhatsApp today, while native cellular voice calls without an app remain slated for future network upgrades. The constellation also delivers government wireless emergency alerts across the United States, Canada, and Japan. Outside the United States, Starlink lists these partner carriers, among others; our guide to Starlink cell phone plans by carrier compares what each charges:
- Rogers (Canada)
- Optus and Telstra (Australia)
- One NZ (New Zealand)
- KDDI, Docomo and SoftBank (Japan)
- Salt (Switzerland)
- Entel (Chile and Peru)
- Kyivstar (Ukraine)
- VMO2 (United Kingdom)
- Globe (Philippines)
- Airtel Africa
- MasOrange (Spain)
- Deutsche Telekom
- Fastweb (Italy)
| Service Option | Target Device | Hardware Needed | Base Monthly Cost | Live Network Functions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starlink Mobile (via T-Satellite) | Standard LTE phones | Unmodified phone | $10 or included on top plans | SMS, select apps, app voice, emergency alerts |
| Starlink Roam | Dish-based broadband | Starlink Mini or standard kit | $55 to $175 per month | Broadband internet |
| Standalone Starlink Mobile Carrier | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not yet launched commercially |
What SpaceX Announced in October 2026
In early October 2026, SpaceX received an FCC order for its next-generation satellites and agreed to buy nationwide 800 MHz spectrum. On October 6, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission issued Order DA 26-1078. The order authorizes SpaceX’s next-generation direct-to-device constellation of 15,000 satellites in nine shells at 326 to 335 kilometers altitude.
The FCC authorized four U.S. bands: unpaired AWS-3 at 1695 to 1710 MHz, the PCS G Block, the AWS-H Block, and the 2 GHz mobile-satellite band at 2000 to 2020 MHz and 2180 to 2200 MHz. The order deferred action on a 2020 to 2025 MHz segment and SpaceX’s non-U.S. licensing requests. Regulators also ruled that commercial service over the bands SpaceX is buying from EchoStar cannot commence until the final stage of that transaction closes, though testing remains authorized. SpaceX must deploy 50 percent of the authorized 15,000 satellites by October 7, 2032, and reach 100 percent by October 7, 2035.
Two days later, on October 8, 2026, Grain Management announced an agreement to sell 100 percent of its nationwide 800 MHz wireless portfolio to SpaceX. SpaceX says the deal covers up to 14 MHz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band. An earlier FCC order puts those licenses at 817 to 824 MHz and 862 to 869 MHz, covering 3,224 counties. Grain had previously acquired this spectrum portfolio from T-Mobile in a transaction that closed in August 2026.
Neither company published the purchase price. Reuters relayed a Wall Street Journal report, citing people familiar with the matter, that put the price at about $8 billion in cash. On its company updates page, SpaceX stated that the transaction will pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a major mobile carrier in the United States. However, as of October 9, 2026, SpaceX has published no consumer plan, airtime fee, launch date, or list of supported smartphones for its own retail carrier service.
Why Spectrum Turns Starlink Mobile Into a Carrier
SpaceX says that once it receives final FCC approval, Starlink Mobile will deploy a flexible architecture combining its satellite-to-mobile constellation with an advanced terrestrial deployment. SpaceX calls Starlink Mobile the first network operator to deploy both satellite and terrestrial spectrum.
The 800 MHz deal adds to the mid-band spectrum SpaceX agreed in September 2025 to buy from EchoStar. The EchoStar purchase has not closed: the licenses sit in a trust, and the final closing to SpaceX is targeted for November 30, 2027 (EchoStar’s 8-K filing). Deal terms and band detail are in OrbitalIntel’s analysis of SpaceX spectrum holdings.
Next-Generation Starlink Mobile Satellites
SpaceX’s long-term cellular capacity depends on launching its next-generation direct-to-device spacecraft, known as V2. SpaceX claims that each next-generation satellite delivers around 20 times the throughput of a first-generation satellite. SpaceX states that, as a system, the V2 fleet will supply more than 100 times the bandwidth of SpaceX’s current generation.
SpaceX ties deployment of these satellites to Starship’s payload capacity. SpaceX has not officially published a commercial deployment date for the V2 constellation. Trade publication TelecomTV reported in March 2026 that initial V2 launches on Starship are slated to begin from mid-2027.
Deutsche Telekom became the first announced partner for the next-generation V2 architecture, planning to launch commercial mobile satellite services across 10 European nations starting in early 2028, as reported by Via Satellite. How direct-to-cell satellites reach ordinary phones is covered in OrbitalIntel’s guide to direct-to-cell satellite engineering.
Phones and Starlink Mobile
There is no Starlink-branded phone. Elon Musk wrote on X in February 2026, “We are not developing a phone,” as reported by Light Reading.
Starlink Mobile works with existing LTE phones, and SpaceX says most existing mobile devices already support the 800 MHz band. Handset compatibility is covered in OrbitalIntel’s review of smartphones compatible with Starlink.
How the Big Carriers Responded
Incumbent wireless carriers responded to SpaceX’s 800 MHz deal. NBC News reported the carriers’ responses on October 9, 2026.
Verizon told NBC News that acquisition of spectrum alone does not provide the network or infrastructure to offer true nationwide coverage. In a LinkedIn post quoted by NBC, T-Mobile’s John Saw stated that a company cannot acquire a nationwide, high-performing wireless network overnight. AT&T did not provide a comment in response to NBC’s inquiry.
On October 1, 2026, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon announced a joint venture for direct-to-device satellite service. Existing satellite deals stay in place, according to a T-Mobile newsroom release.
OrbitalIntel compares Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile with Starlink Mobile in Starlink Mobile versus cellular carriers.
What Would Change This Picture
Four conditions would change the current availability of Starlink Mobile:
- FCC Approval of the Grain 800 MHz Acquisition. The deal needs FCC approval and customary closing conditions.
- Closing the EchoStar License Transaction. Commercial operations using mid-band spectrum SpaceX is buying from EchoStar remain legally blocked until step two of the agreement formally closes, an event targeted for November 30, 2027.
- Starship Deployment of V2 Satellites. The high-capacity consumer network relies on deploying the 15,000 next-generation satellites authorized in Order DA 26-1078.
- A Published Price and Phone List. SpaceX has not announced a consumer price, plan, launch date or supported-phone list for its own carrier service.
For technical background on orbital infrastructure and direct device links, review OrbitalIntel’s guide to how Starlink satellites work or compare network architectures in Starlink Direct to Cell versus AST SpaceMobile. To check whether your existing smartphone is supported today, verify compatibility through T-Mobile satellite support.