Starlink Mobile has passed 22 million monthly users, SpaceX reported on its third-quarter earnings call, a rise of 37 percent in just three months. The milestone shows how quickly satellite connectivity has moved from a niche backup option to a service used by millions of people each month, including through partnerships that already reach ordinary smartphones.

The plan to become a carrier

SpaceX's longer-term goal is bolder: to turn Starlink Mobile into its own major US carrier in early 2028. President and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell said the near-term priority is flying the new V2 satellite constellation through 2027 and integrating spectrum purchases so service can be switched on in early 2028. Chief financial officer Bret Johnsen said the V2 satellites will start launching on Starship in 2027.

How it works today

Starlink already reaches devices such as recent iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones through T-Mobile's T-Satellite service, which handles basic texting and light apps. The V2 satellites are second-generation spacecraft intended to replace the first generation. The US Federal Communications Commission already approved 15,000 of those V2 satellites on 6 October, giving SpaceX the regulatory room to build out the larger constellation.

What it means for mobile users

For people in rural areas, on the move, or in places where terrestrial networks are weak, satellite-to-phone service could fill gaps that towers cannot reach economically. The 2028 target is still a plan, not a launched service, and pricing, coverage and handset compatibility remain to be confirmed. But the user growth and the satellite approvals together suggest that direct-to-phone satellite service is moving from experiment toward mainstream competition with traditional carriers.