Image: Starlink
Starlink’s satellite-to-smartphone ambitions are heading to Japan in a big way.
NTT Docomo, Japan’s largest mobile carrier with more than 92 million subscribers, has announced plans to launch a direct satellite-to-smartphone communications service in early 2026, in partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink. The company has confirmed that Docomo customers will soon be able to connect directly to satellites without relying on terrestrial cell towers.
According to Docomo’s announcement (translated from Japanese), the new service will allow users “to send and receive text messages and use compatible apps for data communication in areas where terrestrial base station communications have not been available until now, such as mountainous regions, remote islands, and at sea, as well as in areas where terrestrial communications facilities have been damaged during disasters.” In other words, coverage where there was previously no signal.
Importantly, the service will not require specialized hardware. It will work with Docomo LTE-compatible smartphones and be available to both consumer and enterprise users. Pricing, supported devices, and exact launch timing will be shared at a later date.
Docomo’s move builds on an earlier October 2025 announcement confirming it was working with Starlink on Direct-to-Cell (D2C) capabilities. Starlink currently has roughly 650 compatible satellites in orbit capable of supporting D2C services.
This also marks another major international expansion for Starlink’s satellite cellular push. The company recently secured a Direct to Cell rollout in Southeast Asia with Globe Telecom in the Philippines and in the European Union, starting with Spain. Similar partnerships are underway with Virgin Media O2 in the U.K. and Airtel Africa, while in North America, Starlink has teamed up with T-Mobile and Rogers to bring satellite texting and data to smartphones.
Japan has already leaned on Starlink before, including to power communications for the country’s Coast Guard. Now, with Docomo onboard, satellite texting and data could soon be available across one of the world’s most advanced mobile markets — especially in hard-to-reach regions and during natural disasters.
Longer term, SpaceX is also preparing to test Direct to Cell service on its own wireless spectrum and has filed trademarks for “Starlink Mobile,” hinting at even bigger, standalone ambitions beyond carrier partnerships.
