SpaceX’s ambitious plan to operate a massive constellation of high-capacity direct-to-device (D2D) satellites has taken a major step forward after the Federal Communications Commission officially cleared the way for the company to deploy up to 15,000 D2D satellites.
The significant regulatory approval, which comes roughly a year after SpaceX formally filed its comprehensive plan with the agency, authorizes the aerospace giant to deploy and operate these next-generation spacecraft across nine distinct orbital shells. These shells will range from a low end of 326 kilometers—or approximately 202.56 miles—up to a high end of 335 kilometers, or roughly 208.15 miles. Furthermore, the order permits SpaceX to run its operations utilizing specified spectrum, including valuable spectrum resources that the company recently acquired from EchoStar.
In its official order greenlighting the project, the FCC emphasized the broader societal benefits of the authorization. "This action allows SpaceX to improve the quality of D2D services, increase capacity, and advance broadband connectivity for consumers in the United States and worldwide," the Commission stated.
The authorization granted to SpaceX carries a duration of 15 years, starting precisely at 3 a.m. Eastern Time on the exact date that the first new SpaceX D2D satellite is successfully placed into its authorized orbital path.
However, achieving full deployment will require a carefully managed timeline over the coming decade. SpaceX, whose application faced notable objections and pushback from rival industry players including Eutelsat, Viasat, DirecTV, and SES, has been given nearly ten years to complete the authorized deployment. Under the terms set by the FCC order, SpaceX is strictly required to launch at least 50% of the maximum number of authorized satellites and successfully place them into their assigned orbits no later than October 7, 2032. Following that milestone, the company must launch and initiate operations for the remaining satellites necessary to fully complete its authorized D2D constellation no later than October 7, 2035.
In addition to hitting these deployment windows, SpaceX will be held accountable through rigorous reporting requirements. The company is mandated to provide semi-annual reports—due on January 1 and July 1 of each year—offering detailed updates on the progress of the deployment. These reports must include specific data regarding the number of satellites that have been retired or removed from operation, as well as the exact number that have reentered Earth’s atmosphere.
The FCC’s decisive order crucially paves the way for SpaceX to deploy and launch its higher-capacity "V2" Starlink Mobile D2D satellites. Building on its current offering—which relies on a constellation of more than 650 operational D2D satellites—SpaceX is aggressively targeting user download speeds of up to 150 megabits per second for the V2 generation. This represents a massive performance leap from the current capability, which delivers speeds peaking around 4 megabits per second.
To achieve this heavy lifting in volume, SpaceX will inevitably lean heavily on the success of its massive Starship rocket. Starship, a colossal launch vehicle purposefully designed to eventually become rapidly and fully reusable, reached orbit for the first time during a pivotal test flight on September 28. While SpaceX has yet to attempt a dramatic mid-air tower-catch of Starship’s upper stage during orbital operations, aerospace industry watchers expect the company to test the maneuver in upcoming flight tests.
FCC D2D Action
The timing of the FCC’s order regarding SpaceX coincides with a broader push by the Commission to modernize its regulatory framework. Specifically, the agency is preparing to vote on updating its Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) rules. This regulatory framework is designed to let traditional mobile network carriers lease their terrestrial spectrum to satellite providers, thereby enabling seamless D2D services. The upcoming proposal, slated for a crucial vote at the FCC’s October 29 Open Meeting, aims to make an additional 482 megahertz of spectrum available for SCS use.
"It’s become clear in recent years that the rules need a major refresh. So, this month, we will consider a plan to make more spectrum available for leasing, while cutting down regulatory barriers to deal flow and secondary-market transactions," FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement released alongside the latest announcements.
In tandem with the SCS rules modernization, the FCC is also scheduled to vote on a proposed auction of 25 megahertz of midband spectrum—specifically targeting the 1675MHz-1695MHz and 2020MHz-2025MHz bands. This spectrum could be utilized for D2D connectivity, traditional terrestrial use, or a strategic hybrid of both approaches.
D2D Playing Field Expanding
Once SpaceX’s next-generation D2D program begins to ramp up commercial operations, it will provide a powerful new option for the company itself, and potentially for mobile carriers that increasingly view direct-to-device satellite connectivity as an indispensable capability. Among the mobile service providers already lined up to tap into SpaceX’s next-gen D2D platform is EchoStar’s Boost Mobile.
At the same time, several other competitors are actively contesting the D2D landscape, while others are making preparations to enter the market. Existing players include AST SpaceMobile and Elveo Mobile—a new challenger born from the recent merger of Lynk and Omnispace. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, often referred to as Amazon Leo, has filed an ambitious application to build and deploy its own D2D system. That proposed network would consist of more than 5,000 low-Earth orbit satellites operating across five distinct orbital shells. Amazon is also looking to accelerate its D2D strategy through its proposed acquisition of Globalstar.
The competitive dynamics among terrestrial carriers are also shifting rapidly. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon officially launched a joint venture focused on satellite connectivity, managed by interim CEO and seasoned mobile industry veteran Paul Roth. The joint venture intends to pool the massive carriers’ collective spectrum resources and provide a tech-neutral platform capable of enabling satellite connectivity in remote parts of the United States that lie far beyond the reach of traditional terrestrial wireless networks.
According to New Street Research analyst David Barden, the formation of this carrier joint venture significantly strengthens the major wireless operators’ collective bargaining position. At the same time, it potentially weakens the negotiating leverage of future satellite operator partners if the carriers hold onto their consolidated resources. Beyond helping the "Big Three" secure more favorable pricing terms, the joint venture naturally provides them with a strategic corporate hedge against SpaceX.
Meanwhile, underlying tensions and cracks in existing D2D relationships have begun to surface, largely driven by SpaceX’s broader ambitions to build out a terrestrial network of its own. This ties into ongoing efforts by SpaceX to negotiate, cajole, and, if necessary, pressure major wireless operators in an effort to secure a Mobile Virtual Network Operator agreement with at least one of the Big Three carriers, as noted by MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett. Thus far, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have publicly maintained that they do not intend to sign MVNO deals with SpaceX.
Friction is becoming apparent in other partnerships as well. After T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan pointed out that direct-to-device satellite traffic accounts for a minuscule 0.0002% of the operator’s total network usage, industry reports revealed that T-Mobile quietly removed references to Starlink from its dedicated T-Satellite website.
Similarly, Canada’s Rogers Communications utilizes Starlink to power its own D2D service offering, but has also removed direct mentions of Starlink from the Rogers Satellite website, as first reported by PCMag. Rogers Satellite has concurrently partnered with Lynk Global, which now operates as Elveo Mobile. As regulatory clearances clear the path for massive new constellations, the battle for dominance in the skies and over terrestrial airwaves continues to accelerate.
