Satellite direct-to-device (D2D) uses specialised ‘constellations within constellations’ for SMS, voice, and low-data applications, but until standardisation, current models will remain experimental, and enterprise adoption will be widely delayed.
To enable D2D, satellite vendors require a specially configured fleet of space antennas with beam connectivity to non-satellite first devices. D2D antennas enable telcos to add to pre-existing emergency messaging and voice functions. The first use cases of D2D have been non-emergency SMS and voice calling. On data, telcos are starting out with navigational and weather apps, low-data-consuming social media apps, and X if the telco’s partner is Starlink. The list of data applications will grow as next-gen antennas are sent into orbit and capacity increases. Progress is being made on this front. Starlink is set to launch Space Mobile V2, a 1,200-strong ‘constellation within a constellation’ of D2D satellites offering greater bandwidth thanks to antennas that can process 20 times greater throughput compared to its first-generation D2D antennas totaling 650. AST SpaceMobile is also launching its own next-gen fleet of low-Earth orbit antennas, starting with the Bluebird 6 in December 2025 – it is relying on the large size of its antennas rather than volume, which is what Starlink is doing.
Standards for D2D services will remain in purgatory until the WRC-27 conference, scheduled in Shanghai for late 2027, when crucial non-terrestrial network (NTN) frameworks will be set. Although many D2D services-related announcements will be made between now and then, these offerings will remain in pilot, commercial trial, or exploratory commercial mode. These are being showcased as free or premium-bundled add-ons for SMS, voice, and data, rather than a standalone service with a definitive commercial strategy for revenue uplift. This experimental phase has already witnessed some divergence across telcos in their go-to-market strategies. Most telcos offer D2D for free for their high-ARPU customers, while charging other customers after an initial free promotional period; others are offering it to all their customers en masse as a profile-boosting marketing tool, or are charging non-network customers who wish to have a D2D bolt-on.
Enterprise-specific applications on D2D are rare, and contractual commitments for D2D are scarce as a result. This dynamic is expected to remain until standardisation. Business customers will be waiting for concrete evidence of performance quality and optimal pricing structures before committing. Until then, enterprises will be largely satisfied with existing terrestrial networks and non-D2D satellite connectivity via dedicated satellite terminals, which in itself has been relatively successful across the globe thanks to Starlink and its current 15 telco partner brands. A potential game changer in this Amazon Leo, which is in the process of launching its own LEO fleet and is expected to target enterprises. Whether it will partner with telecoms operators to offer its ecosystem of services is a point that remains unclear.
