Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite service receives FCC approval

The Federal Communications Commission cleared SpaceX to use its Starlink broadband satellites to provide T-Mobile customers with direct-to-phone service. The T-Mobile license is the first collaboration between a satellite operator and wireless carrier to be approved by the FCC to provide supplemental cell coverage from space.

“The Commission recognized that satellite-to-device connectivity can support critical public interest benefits, including ubiquitous connectivity, access to 911 service from remote areas, technological advancement, and innovative spectrum use,” the FCC said in the filing.

The announcement follows SpaceX and T-Mobile being granted temporary clearance in October to provide Starlink satellite service in areas affected by Hurricane Helene. The partnership between the two companies was announced in 2022 with the aim of eradicating cellular dead zones across the US, with Verizon and AT&T having since formed similar agreements with satellite partner AST SpaceMobile.

There are some conditions to the FCC’s official approval, however. The agency has yet to decide if SpaceX can increase the radio emission power of its satellites to support capabilities like real-time voice and video calls. AT&T and Verizon have previously raised concerns that allowing SpaceX to bypass current power flux-density limits could interfere with their existing networks.

“The FCC is actively promoting competition in the space economy by supporting more partnerships between terrestrial mobile carriers and satellite operators to deliver on a single network future that will put an end to mobile dead zones,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said, according to Reuters report.

The commission is also deferring whether SpaceX will be permitted to launch an additional 22,488 Starlink satellites after approving a constellation of 7,518 to be launched in 2018. SpaceX and T-Mobile’s first satellites with direct-to-cell support launched in January, but the full constellation hasn’t yet been deployed — SpaceX said it “may test basic texting (SMS) capabilities” when it was granted temporary clearance last month, and support for voice and data isn’t expected to arrive until 2025.