SpaceX plans to provide every smartphone with a speed of 150 Mbps using Starlink, which will accelerate sharply after the update.

SpaceX – Target of 150 Mbps in the Starlink satellite network

SpaceX announced more concrete plans to launch fifth‑generation (5G) cellular service through its global Starlink satellite network. The goal is to achieve “peak” speeds up to 150 Mbps per user. If realized, Starlink’s throughput would be comparable to standard terrestrial 5G networks.

> “We are aiming for a peak speed of 150 Mbps per user,” said SpaceX’s satellite policy head Udrivolf Pica during the Space Connect conference. – “It’s incredible when you consider the budgets from space‑to‑mobile phone communication.”

Comparison with terrestrial networks

According to Ookla Speedtest:

The current version of Starlink is still limited: the network supports low‑resolution video calls, text messages, and some mobile apps, but download speeds do not exceed 4 Mbps per user.

Path to higher throughput

* SpaceX plans to upgrade its technology using recently acquired radio spectrum from EchoStar.
* The company has already requested regulatory approvals to launch an additional 15,000 Starlink satellites; currently only about 650 units are operational for cellular service.
* An updated system is expected to be launched by the end of 2027 – when the EchoStar spectrum acquisition deal closes.

Partnerships

SpaceX is already working not only with T‑Mobile (through its subsidiary T‑Satellite) but also with other operators: Rogers in Canada, KDDI in Japan, and a growing number of partners worldwide.

Competitors

* AST SpaceMobile claims a “peak speed of 120 Mbps per coverage cell” and recently launched the first second‑generation BlueBird satellite (antenna area 230 m²). By year’s end it plans to launch 45–60 satellites, with 90 needed for global coverage.
* Globalstar already offers free emergency satellite service for Apple iPhones and is preparing an expansion with a future C‑3 cluster.

Conclusions

SpaceX intends not to “bankrupt” existing operators but to offer an alternative: users will be able to use Starlink as conveniently as AT&T, T‑Mobile, or Verizon services. If the company reaches the stated speed of 150 Mbps, satellite communication will become competitive even against terrestrial 5G networks.