SpaceX’s Starlink Reportedly Eyes Expansion Into Mobile Device Market and Direct-to-Device Connectivity

SpaceX's Starlink looks to expand beyond broadband connectivity and introduce new services such as direct-to-phone communication. According to a report, the satellite internet service's mobile device could connect to the constellation of Starlink satellites and rival smartphones. Starlink's rising subscriber base and expanding range of use cases are reportedly helping SpaceX strengthen its commercial business and fuel the long-term vision. It is also said to have plans to expand direct-to-device internet and space-tracking services.

SpaceX's Starlink Expansion Plans

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that Starlink has had plans for mobile devices for years. Responding to an X user post over a hypothetical Starlink phone last week, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had said that it was "not out of the question at some point."

In a subsequent post, however, Musk clarified that "we are not developing a phone."

Details about the mobile device, such as its design or development timeline, remain under wraps. While the satellite internet provider has worked with telecom service providers like T-Mobile in recent years to provide direct-to-device internet services, producing a phone is believed to be a different proposition altogether.

The introduction of a mobile device is expected to signal a significant expansion of Starlink's product lineup, which primarily comprises a network of 9,500 geospatial satellites that provide wireless internet services across the world. According to Musk, about 650 of the total Starlink satellites in space are geared towards SpaceX's direct-to-device business, with an end goal of providing “full cellular coverage everywhere on Earth."

The report suggests that the expansion of Starlink as a cellular provider banks on the highly-anticipated Starship rocket, which will carry a much larger batch of upgraded Starlink satellites into space for delivering enhanced internet services directly to mobile phones.

Analysts reportedly estimate that the direct-to-device market could be worth billions of dollars in the next several years.

Starlink's commercial success is believed to be helping fund SpaceX's longer-term ambitions, including the development of next-generation launch vehicles and space infrastructure. While SpaceX remains privately held, its expanding satellite internet business has drawn attention from investors and policymakers alike, fueling rumours of a SpaceX IPO.