Direct-to-Cell Revolution: What It Is and When It Will Work in Your Country
SpaceX sent its first text via Starlink Direct-to-Cell and T-Mobile on Jan. 8, 2024, after launching about 400 equipped satellites by mid-2025. AST SpaceMobile and Lynk Global also advanced direct-to-phone satellite messaging, with Lynk launching live SMS in Australia in April 2025. Verizon and Rogers began satellite texting trials, while Kyivstar and Vodafone plan European rollouts by late 2025. Early services offer SMS only, with limited coverage windows.
