On August 5, 2026, SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell outlined the company’s Q2 performance and strategic direction, confirming plans to expand Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell capabilities to compete directly within the commercial mobile telecommunications market.

During a call with industry analysts, Shotwell stated that SpaceX is positioning its Starlink satellite constellation to operate as a full-fledged mobile telecommunications carrier. The strategy targets market share among the primary U.S. wireless carriers—Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile—a group that generates approximately $600 billion (€520 billion) in annual revenue.

Direct-to-Cell Architecture and Spectrum Strategy

The commercial expansion relies on SpaceX’s ongoing deployment of Direct-to-Cell (D2C) satellites equipped with onboard eNodeB modems, which act as orbital cell towers capable of connecting directly to unmodified LTE and 5G smartphones.

The technical capability builds on SpaceX’s $17 billion spectrum acquisition from EchoStar, securing AWS-4 and H-Block mid-band licenses. This dedicated 50MHz spectrum block enables high-throughput data connections independently of terrestrial towers, advancing SpaceX toward its target of delivering up to 150Mbps user speeds via VLEO (Very Low Earth Orbit) constellations.

Commercial Partnerships and Network Integration

While initially entering the market through wholesale partnerships—most notably the commercial rollout of the T-Mobile Starlink service—SpaceX’s expanded spectrum assets allow the company to offer direct connectivity to enterprise, commercial, and government users.

The system leverages multi-source network integration, allowing mobile devices to transition automatically from terrestrial cell signals to Starlink orbital beams when entering coverage dead zones.

“SpaceX’s first generation Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities have already connected millions of people when they needed it most,” said Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX. “In this next chapter, with exclusive spectrum, SpaceX will develop next generation Starlink Direct to Cell satellites, which will have a step change in performance and enable us to enhance coverage for customers wherever they are in the world.”

Telecommunications Market Outlook

SpaceX’s dual track of providing direct consumer satellite broadband and D2C mobile connectivity forms a core component of its long-term revenue model. By leveraging continuous Falcon 9 and Starship launch cadence to refresh its Low Earth Orbit fleet, the company aims to scale capacity, lower end-to-end latency, and secure a significant share of the global mobile-satellite services sector.

MADRID – August 4, 2026 – Expanding enterprise access to low Earth orbit broadband across the Iberian Peninsula, satellite telecommunications provider IBSAT signed an agreement on August 4, 2026, to serve as an authorized distributor of Amazon Leo services throughout Spain and Portugal.

IBSAT, a subsidiary of BLUETEL WIRELESS registered with Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC), will market Amazon’s low Earth orbit network directly to large corporations, small and medium enterprises, and regional internet service providers.

Terminal Hardware and Performance Specifications

Under the partnership framework, IBSAT will integrate Amazon Leo’s user terminals into its connectivity platform. The commercial rollout features phased-array customer equipment options, headlined by the flagship Leo Ultra model.

The high-performance Leo Ultra terminal delivers download throughput of up to 1 Gbps and upload speeds reaching 400 Mbps. This capacity supports bandwidth-intensive operational workloads, high-frequency data transfers, and critical enterprise applications in regions unserved by terrestrial fiber infrastructure.

Regional Enterprise Market Integration

The distribution deal establishes a structured channel model for more than 80 regional ISPs and commercial sales agents operating within IBSAT’s Iberian ecosystem.

By adding Amazon’s network—formerly known as Project Kuiper—to its multi-orbit telecommunications portfolio, IBSAT targets enterprise deployments across diverse sectors. Key operational verticals include agriculture, maritime transport, energy production, remote construction, healthcare, and industrial Internet of Things networks. The reseller agreement follows similar regional commercial expansions by international channel partners, such as Globalsat Group’s distribution deal across the Americas.

Executive Directives on Iberian Expansion

“This agreement represents an extraordinary business opportunity for our clients and for the more than 80 ISPs and agents that are part of the IBSAT ecosystem,” said Javier Gómez, Chief Executive Officer of IBSAT. “This opportunity will allow IBSAT and our partners to participate in this new and growing market in Spain and Portugal, under a solid and consolidated collaboration model with IBSAT, taking advantage of the full capacity of the Amazon Leo satellite network. From large corporations to micro-enterprises, Amazon Leo offers reliable and secure connectivity, and IBSAT is proud to be part of this project to make it possible.”

Deployment and Commercial Rollout Schedule

IBSAT will immediately integrate Amazon Leo hardware and connectivity packages into its regional commercial catalog, enabling enterprise clients and reseller partners across Spain and Portugal to order managed LEO services ahead of network deployment expansion through late 2026.

NIGRÁN, Spain, and VILNIUS, Lithuania – August 4, 2026 – Targeting the environmental drag constraints of sustained operations in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO), satellite developer Kreios Space contracted small satellite manufacturer Kongsberg NanoAvionics on August 4, 2026, to provide the satellite platform for the first orbital demonstration of an air-breathing electric propulsion system.

The in-orbit demonstration will validate atmosphere-ingesting propulsion capabilities at orbital altitudes between 150 km and 300 km.

Spacecraft and Propulsion Specifications

The mission centers on NanoAvionics’ flight-proven MP42 microsatellite bus, configured to an approximate wet mass of 200 kilograms in its final operational setup. The spacecraft will integrate Kreios Space’s Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) thruster alongside a high-resolution visible and near-infrared (VNIR) optical payload.

Rather than relying on heavy onboard chemical or noble-gas propellants, the ABEP system uses an atmospheric intake to collect residual oxygen and nitrogen molecules present in the upper thermosphere. The collected gas is ionized and accelerated through an electric thruster, counteracting atmospheric drag to enable extended operational lifetimes in low altitudes without onboard propellant mass penalties.

VLEO Market Dynamics and Platform Heritage

Operating in VLEO offers distinct physical advantages for Earth observation and satellite communications, including enhanced sensor spatial resolution, reduced signal propagation latency, and lower launch energy requirements. However, atmospheric drag historically degraded unmaintained orbits within weeks.

The contract expands the operational footprint of NanoAvionics’ MP42 platform, which is currently deployed across multiple specialized payloads including the Eycore SAR demonstrator mission.

Executive Directives on Low-Orbiting Platform Mobility

“Kreios is building the satellites that make sustained operations in Very Low Earth Orbit possible,” said Adrián Senar, CEO of Kreios Space. “By enabling satellites to fly lower, longer, and more efficiently, we are enabling higher-resolution Earth observation, much better satellite communications, more responsive and accurate missions, and a more sustainable orbital infrastructure. Partnering with NanoAvionics in our first in-orbit flight provides us with a satellite bus and market-leading experience necessary to allow us to test our new technology in confidence.”

“Kreios is tackling one of the most demanding operating environments in space, and this mission joins a very short list of European VLEO initiatives,” said Atle Wøllo, CEO of Kongsberg NanoAvionics. “This contract reflects our customers’ continued confidence in the maturity of our platforms and our ability to tailor them for demanding new mission profiles. Our engineering team has worked closely with Kreios to configure the MP42 satellite bus to the mission’s specific requirements.”

Integration and Operational Flight Timeline

Under the agreement, NanoAvionics will customize the MP42 bus, integrate the optical payload and ABEP propulsion unit, conduct full environmental testing, and execute initial in-orbit commissioning before transferring operational control to Kreios Space.