StoryRegulatory
FCC approves SpaceX's 15,000-satellite Starlink Mobile constellation
The US Federal Communications Commission approved SpaceX's application for 15,000 next-generation direct-to-device satellites, branded Starlink Mobile, on October 6, 2026. The system will run in very low orbit and is separate from the Starlink broadband constellation; the approval covers satellite mobile and supplemental service inside the US.
- The satellites will fly in nine orbital shells between 326 km and 335 km.
- The FCC deferred SpaceX's request to use the 2020–2025 MHz band (Earth-to-space) for mobile satellite service in the US.
- Use of the EchoStar spectrum depends on a second deal step expected around November 30, 2027; until then, testing needs EchoStar's permission.
- SpaceX operates about 650 direct-to-device satellites today; Gwynne Shotwell said second-generation satellites will start flying next year, with service by the end of that year.
- The company's original filing promised connectivity 'virtually anywhere on Earth' with voice, testing and high-speed data.