Image: SpaceX
SpaceX is laying the groundwork for a major leap forward in satellite-to-phone connectivity, with plans to roll out its second-generation cellular Starlink system in 2027.
The timeline was disclosed in a new FCC filing, where SpaceX detailed both the current state of its Direct to Cell service and its longer-term ambitions. As the company puts it, “SpaceX’s first generation service is providing coverage to over 400 million people, with more than 6 million customers accessing the service each month. But this is only the beginning: SpaceX has also invested in spectrum that will enable it to launch a greatly enhanced second generation direct-to-device system in 2027.”
Today’s cellular Starlink service, offered in the U.S. through T-Mobile and increasingly with international carrier partners, already allows phones to connect in cellular dead zones for messaging, calls, and basic data access. According to Starlink’s own 2025 progress report, more than 12 million people have been connected at least once, with over 6 million users per month relying on the service on average — all powered by just 650 first-generation Direct to Cell satellites currently in orbit.
The second-generation system is expected to be a massive upgrade. SpaceX says it could deliver an overall capacity increase of more than 100 times compared to the first-generation constellation, with over 20 times the throughput. In practical terms, that opens the door to something far closer to 5G-like performance delivered directly to smartphones, without specialized hardware or ground infrastructure.
Much of this hinges on the spectrum SpaceX agreed to acquire from EchoStar in a $17 billion deal announced last year. The spectrum includes the 1.9GHz and 2GHz bands and is central to enabling higher-capacity direct-to-device links. The acquisition isn’t scheduled to close until late 2027, though SpaceX could move sooner at a higher cost. Elon Musk has also previously pointed to a roughly two-year timeframe, noting that phone makers still need time to integrate compatible chips.
On the satellite side, SpaceX recently received FCC approval to deploy up to 15,000 next-generation Direct to Cell satellites, doubling its previous limit. The company is also pushing regulators to ensure future spectrum auctions consider satellite networks alongside traditional terrestrial carriers, arguing that satellite coverage should be treated as a core part of national wireless planning.
With rivals like AST SpaceMobile and Apple-backed Globalstar racing ahead with their own satellite-to-phone services, 2027 now looks like a pivotal year for Starlink’s cellular ambitions.
