SpaceX to expand Starlink’s mobile coverage as it seeks $1.75 trillion IPO valuation
Starlink expects to connect 25 million monthly users by the end of the year on a service the company says will allow video calls and streaming.
At the Mobile World Congress keynote Monday morning, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and Starlink VP of Engineering Michael Nicolls said the company plans to offer broadband-level cellular service through its direct-to-cell product, now branded Starlink Mobile.
The company aims to grow from 10 million active monthly users today to 25 million by the end of 2026. The service is designed to give consumers access to high-speed internet, including video calls in remote areas using unmodified smartphones.
“ When your phone’s in your pocket, when you’re in your car and you’re connected to Starlink Mobile, it should look and feel like you’re connected to a high-performing 5G terrestrial network,” Nicolls said. “That kind of experience is what we’re shooting for.”
Still, SpaceX emphasized that satellite service is not meant to replace traditional cellular networks. “It cannot provide the data density that terrestrial networks have,” Nicolls said, while contending that it can augment coverage in areas where land-based networks don’t reach or when additional capacity is needed — a category that includes large portions of the US and much of the world.
For now, SpaceX is positioning Starlink Mobile as a complement to carriers like AT&T and Verizon rather than a direct competitor. The service is meant to fill coverage gaps in remote areas, at sea, and during emergencies when terrestrial networks go down. Shotwell noted that T-Mobile was SpaceX’s first — and remains its only — US carrier partner.
The mobile push comes as SpaceX expands its ambitions beyond launch services. Last month, the company announced it had acquired SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, creating a combined company that spans rockets, satellite broadband, mobile connectivity, and artificial intelligence. Bloomberg reported Friday that SpaceX is preparing to file IPO paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission as soon as March, targeting a valuation as high as $1.75 trillion. At the time of the merger, the combined company was valued at around $1.25 trillion. The higher valuation estimate suggests investors see businesses like Starlink’s internet service, and potentially Starlink Mobile, as key drivers of revenue beyond rocket launches.
