Satellite Internet & Direct-to-Cell

SpaceX launched the first operational batch of 60 Starlink satellites, beginning the first true low-earth-orbit broadband mega-constellation.

Starlink's first direct-to-cell satellites sent text messages to ordinary, unmodified phones — the opening of the phone-to-satellite era.

AST SpaceMobile orbited its first commercial BlueBird satellites — the largest commercial arrays ever flown, purpose-built for broadband direct to phones.

AST SpaceMobile notified the FCC on 4 Aug 2026 that it had started direct-to-cell operations in Japan with Rakuten Mobile — its first commercial service activation outside the United States. Every Japanese authorization is in hand, including a user-equipment licence from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, after Japan cleared low-Earth-orbit satellites in June to link standard phones over the 700 MHz band. The BlueBird arrays connect unmodified 4G and 5G handsets with no added hardware.

Starlink passed several million active subscribers across ~8,000 satellites — a self-funding constellation at unmatched scale.

Eutelsat authorised Airbus to proceed with 229 more OneWeb satellites on 10 Sep 2026, an estimated €1B, bringing its refresh order to 669 spacecraft across three tranches since late 2024 and extending network continuity to 2034. First deliveries from the existing 440-unit order are due in Q4 2026; the new satellites carry digital channelisers for onboard processing and can host third-party payloads. Separately Eutelsat named Belgium's Aerospacelab prime contractor for 264 IRIS² platforms under a €2.4B contract. This is replacement capacity, not growth: OneWeb's first generation is ageing, and the order buys the constellation a decade rather than closing the gap with Starlink's scale.

Operators are rolling out direct-to-cell voice and data beyond text, via carrier partners — early service, not yet continuous or global.

The finish line: any ordinary phone connected anywhere on Earth, continuously, straight to orbit. Targeted toward the late 2020s, not yet here.