# Starlink Mobile targets 25M users as direct-to-cell becomes a mainstream product
> 650+ direct-to-cell satellites, 16M reached, voice and data added, SpaceX rebrands DTC as 'Starlink Mobile'

**Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-03-03 · heads: 長期戦, 暮らしはどう変わるか · 8 takes · 3 lenses · 2 regions

## Summary

[SpaceX](/ja/entity/spacex) is recasting its direct-to-cell service as "[Starlink Mobile](/ja/entity/starlink)", a
mainstream consumer product rather than an experiment. At MWC 2026 it said 16 million unique users
had reached the service via partner carriers, ~10 million active monthly, and set a target of 25
million active users by year-end, adding roughly 52,000 a day. More than 650 direct-to-cell
satellites are in orbit, enough for texting anywhere; voice and data now work through 30+
optimised apps including Google Maps and WhatsApp. A Gen-2 satellite plan promises ~100x data
density but depends on [Starship V3](/ja/n/starship-flight-12-booster-failure-2026) to deploy at scale, 
linking the consumer push to the booster problem grounding the rocket. It races
[China's](/ja/n/china-megaconstellation-batches-2026) constellations and [Amazon Leo](/ja/n/kuiper-leo-367-satellites-2026).

## By the numbers

- 25M, active-user target by end-2026.
- 16M, unique users reached; ~10M active monthly (as of March 2026).
- 650+, direct-to-cell satellites in orbit.
- ~52,000, new users added per day, per SpaceX's projection.

## Why it matters

Direct-to-cell turns every smartphone into a satellite terminal, eroding the coverage moat of
terrestrial carriers and giving SpaceX a consumer base no rival yet matches. Gen-2's data-density
leap, and the whole scale story, hinge on [Starship V3](/ja/n/starship-flight-12-booster-failure-2026)
flying reliably.

## What to watch

- Whether the 25M year-end target is met.
- Gen-2 deployment timing, gated by Starship V3's return to flight.
- Carrier deals and regulatory clearances in new countries.

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### unlabelled
- **Starlink (Updates)** (United States, en) — SpaceX's own Starlink update feed, the source for direct-to-cell satellite counts, the Starlink Mobile rebrand, and the feature roadmap (text → voice → data).
  Source: https://starlink.com/updates
- **SatelliteInternet.com (DTC PDF)** (United States, en) — SpaceX direct-to-cell service fact sheet (PDF).
  Source: https://starlink.com/public-files/DIRECT_TO_CELL_SERVICE_FEB_25.pdf
- **US Mobile** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://www.usmobile.com/blog/starlink-satellite-phone-calls/
- **DISHYtech** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://www.dishytech.com/starlink-just-had-a-massive-2025-and-2026-could-be-even-bigger/
- **Basenor** (Global, en) — 
  Source: https://www.basenor.com/blogs/news/starlink-mobile-targets-25m-users-by-end-of-2026-the-numbers
- **Reuters** (Global, en) — 
  Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/

### US telecom-trade
- **SDxCentral** (United States, en) — Reports SpaceX's MWC 2026 claims: 25M active-user target by year-end, ~52,000 new users a day, and a Gen-2 satellite plan promising 100x data density that depends on Starship V3 to deploy.
  > "SpaceX is targeting 25 million active Starlink Mobile users by year-end, adding roughly 52,000 a day."
  Source: https://www.sdxcentral.com/news/starlink-targets-25m-users-by-year-end-as-gen2-satellite-plan-promises-100x-data-density/

### consumer-broadband
- **SatelliteInternet.com** (United States, en) — Consumer-facing guide tracking the direct-to-cell rollout and carrier partnerships (T-Satellite and others), useful as the demand-side counterweight to SpaceX's supply-side claims; notes texts available anywhere with 650+ DTC satellites.
  > "With 650+ direct-to-cell satellites, the service now offers texting anywhere, with voice and data via 30+ optimised apps."
  Source: https://www.satelliteinternet.com/providers/starlink/starlink-direct-to-cell/

## Across the graph
- Related: [[starship-flight-12-booster-failure-2026]], [[china-megaconstellation-batches-2026]], [[kuiper-leo-367-satellites-2026]]
- Entities: Starlink, Spacex, United States, Launch Cadence

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Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/ja/n/starlink-mobile-25m-2026