Starlink, the satellite division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has entered a groundbreaking global agreement with Amsterdam-headquartered telecom giant VEON to enable direct-to-cell satellite connectivity across emerging and underserved markets. Announced in early 2024, the partnership marks a pivotal move in the intensifying satellite-to-phone arena, where industry leaders race to deliver seamless mobile access—no towers required.
According to Reuters, this collaboration will “bring satellite-based cellular services to VEON’s customers across multiple regions spanning Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe”—potentially reaching tens of millions currently out of mobile coverage.
While Apple and Globalstar accelerate their emergency SOS offerings, and AST SpaceMobile touts the first 4G calls from space, this move solidifies SpaceX’s intention to dominate the market with infrastructure capable of much more than basic messaging. The implications stretch far beyond innovation—they directly touch on the future of universal connectivity and equitable digital access.
What does this mean for users, telecom providers, and national networks? Let’s break it down.
Direct-to-cell refers to the capability of mobile phones to connect straight to satellites without relying on traditional cell towers. Instead of requiring a land-based infrastructure of antennas, this system allows handsets to communicate directly with networked satellites in Earth’s orbit. The advantage? Unbroken mobile coverage across remote and underserved areas, including oceans, mountains, and rural zones where cell towers don’t exist.
For users, that means texting, voice calls, and eventually data streaming directly via satellites — with no specialized hardware, apps, or antennas required. Just a standard 4G or 5G smartphone becomes satellite-capable when in range.
Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, began by delivering high-speed, low-latency broadband internet through a vast array of small satellites orbiting at altitudes of roughly 550 kilometers. Its primary focus in the early phase was fixed broadband for residential and commercial customers.
The shift toward direct-to-cell marks a significant evolution. This move demands more than just additional satellites. It requires onboard technologies capable of interfacing with terrestrial cellular protocols, robust interoperability with mobile networks, and compliance with stringent international telecom standards.
In 2022, SpaceX filed documents with the FCC outlining plans to incorporate LTE and eventually 5G services into their Starlink satellite systems. The company aims to use the midband spectrum (1.9 GHz) through partnerships with terrestrial mobile operators, enabling standard mobile devices to connect seamlessly via satellite.
Starlink already operates the world’s largest LEO satellite constellation, with more than 5,500 satellites in orbit as of early 2024, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists Satellite Database. Each month sees dozens more launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, allowing for fast iteration and network expansion.
This sheer scale provides a strong foundation for the pivot to cellular services. The distributed network enables global coverage with lower latency compared to geostationary systems positioned 35,786 kilometers above Earth. By keeping distances short, LEO constellations like Starlink's support real-time mobile connectivity that approaches terrestrial performance standards.
Starlink’s move into direct-to-cell is not theoretical. In September 2023, SpaceX and T-Mobile demonstrated text messaging via satellite using standard smartphones. This proof-of-concept underscored technical viability — and offered a glimpse into the commercial potential of universal mobile coverage.
VEON Ltd., headquartered in Amsterdam, commands a vast presence in underserved regions, operating telecom services in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Through its portfolio of national telecom brands—such as Jazz in Pakistan and Kyivstar in Ukraine—VEON reaches over 150 million customers, positioning itself as a leading player in developing markets where traditional broadband infrastructure often falls short.
The company’s footprint primarily spans Central and South Asia as well as Eastern Europe—regions where mobile connectivity often acts as the primary gateway to the internet. This operational focus makes VEON a natural partner for a satellite Internet provider like Starlink aiming to fill the gaps left by terrestrial networks.
Although specifics of the Starlink-VEON deal have not been fully disclosed, the partnership is confirmed as a multi-market, multi-year initiative designed to deliver direct-to-cell mobile connectivity using Starlink’s growing constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
The agreement outlines collaborative deployment plans in several of VEON's strongest operating markets, beginning with pilot phases scheduled to launch in 2024. Targeted countries are expected to include Pakistan and Bangladesh—strongholds for VEON where mobile penetration continues to climb, but rural coverage remains inconsistent.
Starlink will provide the satellite infrastructure and direct-to-cell compatibility, while VEON supplies terrestrial backhaul, local market access, and end-user customer relationships. This infrastructure-expertise fusion accelerates deployment efficiency and mitigates regulatory friction.
This partnership unlocks substantial operational synergies. Starlink gains access to millions of potential users and well-established distribution networks in emerging markets, immediately amplifying its global reach. VEON, in return, bypasses the prohibitive costs of installing ground-based infrastructure in remote and mountainous regions.
The integration of Starlink’s satellite layer with VEON’s mobile networks also means users will not need specialized hardware or contracts—they’ll connect via existing mobile devices. For VEON customers, direct-to-cell services won’t require radical behavior changes. For Starlink, this arrangement sidesteps the slow adoption curve that often plagues new telecommunications technologies.
VEON CEO Kaan Terzioğlu described the partnership as “a turning point for mobile accessibility in the countries we serve.” He emphasized the intention to bring "ubiquitous connectivity to every village and valley across our markets," highlighting the project's role in driving economic mobility and digital inclusion.
From the SpaceX side, while Elon Musk has yet to comment directly, Starlink executives have indicated in previous public briefings that partnerships with regional telecoms serve as a core component of their international strategy. This alignment suggests that the VEON alliance isn’t a standalone experiment—it’s a replicable template for other emerging markets.
The competition to deliver satellite-based mobile connectivity is accelerating, with several players racing to establish dominance in this emerging segment. As Starlink signs a major global direct-to-cell deal with VEON, the broader landscape looks increasingly crowded—and complex.
Where competitors rely on bespoke satellites or limited emergency services, Starlink leverages one of the most expansive satellite fleets in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—over 5,500 operational satellites as of May 2024, according to N2YO satellite tracker. These satellites are already positioned to deliver high-throughput connectivity globally, setting the stage for rapid deployment of direct-to-cell capabilities through software updates rather than new hardware overhauls.
Starlink’s phased strategy sidesteps the need for specialized handsets or niche features. Instead, it aligns with existing 4G and 5G band support, ensuring seamless transition for telcos and consumers alike. In contrast, AST and Lynk still navigate technological challenges related to signal strength and compatibility for real-time voice and data across unmodified phones.
The VEON deal creates a powerful multiplier effect. By integrating Starlink’s direct-to-cell capabilities with VEON’s mobile operations in Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, the partnership unlocks coverage for hundreds of millions who live in underserved areas. No other satellite competitor can currently offer simultaneous orbital infrastructure, bandwidth capacity, and telecom partner scale at this level.
This consolidation of space-based capability with terrestrial access gives Starlink a decisive edge—not just in technology, but in market accessibility. As others trial prototype connectivity or narrow-function features, Starlink and VEON are positioned for full-spectrum mobile coverage, poised to rewrite the global telecom playbook.
Rural communities, remote mountain villages, island nations, and nomadic populations across Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia often operate at the edge of infrastructure development. In these regions, building terrestrial cell towers is rarely commercially viable. Laying fiber? Prohibitively expensive. These are the locations where traditional mobile networks falter—and where the direct-to-cell technology embedded in the Starlink-VEON partnership will find its most transformative impact.
With Starlink’s satellite grid reaching low Earth orbit altitudes between 340 km and 1,200 km, latency remains minimal while coverage is dramatically expanded. That capability reshapes possibilities in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan, where VEON operates. Customers in under-connected provinces—Chitral, Bukhara, or the hill tracts of Bandarban—will receive messages, access emergency services, or even stream localized content without needing a single terrestrial repeater nearby.
This is not theoretical. In Mozambique, where VEON conducts operations via its subsidiary, Starlink coverage can bypass hurricane-flattened towers and deliver restored network access within minutes. Nomadic communities in Mongolia and shepherds in Tajikistan—until now disconnected from broadband flow—move into the global digital economy. Where base stations lose signal, satellites fill in with seamless continuity.
The United Nations placed universal internet access at the core of its Sustainable Development Goal 9.C: “significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries.” Starlink’s low-orbit deployment strategy, combined with VEON’s customer base in emerging economies, meets this goal head-on.
According to the International Telecommunication Union’s “Measuring Digital Development” 2023 report, fewer than one in five people in least-developed countries had fixed broadband access. Mobile broadband remains the most efficient bridge—but only if signals reach far-flung communities. Direct-to-cell solutions eliminate the high-cost barrier of physical infrastructure and extend mobile-first connectivity into last-mile populations.
Quoting from Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary-General: “Equality in access to communications technology isn’t secondary to development—it defines it.” Her remarks, made during the World Telecommunication Development Conference, reinforce a shifting paradigm where space-based connectivity is no longer a novelty but a vehicle for equitable growth.
Meanwhile, the World Bank’s 2021 “Digital Economy for Africa” report identifies universal mobile internet coverage as “the foundational infrastructure for fintech, e-health, and remote education.” With VEON’s low-cost data strategies and Starlink’s hardware scale, governments can now leap directly into scalable connectivity without absorbing terrestrial capital expenditure.
The digital divide narrows rapidly when access no longer depends on terrestrial logistics. This partnership doesn’t just boost signal—it rearchitects the framework of international development.
Starlink’s integration with VEON’s terrestrial mobile networks creates a hybrid communication system that delivers continuous connectivity even in areas where traditional cell towers fall short. Rather than replacing VEON’s infrastructure, the Starlink system interlaces with it—filling in coverage gaps, particularly in sparsely populated or geographically challenging regions.
This model uses satellite-to-cell technology to beam LTE signals directly from low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to existing mobile devices on the ground. When a phone is out of traditional cellular range, the signal seamlessly transfers to Starlink’s LEO satellite link. Once back in terrestrial coverage, it hands off the connection back to VEON’s network. The transition occurs behind the scenes without user intervention, preserving call continuity and data sessions.
At the core of this system lies the satellite-cellular handoff protocol. Unlike traditional VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) systems, where communication requires directional dishes and specialized terminals, Starlink’s direct-to-cell technique uses cellular baseband modulation at the satellite level. Each LEO satellite acts like a cell tower in the sky, equipped with software-defined radio (SDR) and phased array antennas capable of dynamic beam steering.
When a device pings the nearest terrestrial tower and no response is found, the mobile network’s control plane reroutes the connection request to the Starlink LEO network. This process utilizes lightweight signaling protocols aligned with 3GPP Release 17 specifications for non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). Latency across this path averages below 50 milliseconds—fast enough to support voice, low-bandwidth apps, and basic video streaming without perceptible lag.
The Starlink-VEON collaboration aligns with ongoing standardization for 5G non-terrestrial networks. As 5G evolves toward Release 18 and beyond, satellite integration moves from optional to mainstream. Starlink’s satellites are already built to support spectrum sharing over sub-6 GHz and eventually millimeter wave (mmWave) bands, enabling higher data rates and lower latency per user.
Network slicing and edge computing functions also come into play. By incorporating mobile edge computing nodes aboard satellites or at ground stations, the hybrid network can deliver localized services such as emergency broadcasting, IoT orchestration, or autonomous vehicle support—even in dead zones.
How will this reshape expectations for mobile connectivity? Will total network ubiquity become the baseline demand? The framework Starlink and VEON are constructing is more than a technological patch—it’s a long-term architectural redefinition of mobile networks.
Morgan Stanley projects the global space-based connectivity market could exceed $100 billion by 2040, with satellite-to-phone services accounting for a significant share of that growth. As terrestrial mobile networks slow their expansion in high-density markets, direct-to-cell satellite infrastructure offers rapid scalability in areas with little or no existing coverage. Starlink’s move with VEON positions it to capture early revenue streams in underserved territories while building influence across varying telecom ecosystems.
In countries across Central Asia, South Asia, and parts of Africa—regions where VEON maintains strong operational footprints—mobile coverage remains patchy at best in rural zones. According to the GSMA’s 2023 Mobile Economy report, nearly 400 million people globally remain without mobile broadband coverage, while another 3.4 billion have coverage but don’t use mobile internet due to accessibility or affordability issues.
Direct-to-cell satellite connectivity answers both problems. It side-steps high capital expenditure associated with building base stations and fiber backhaul in remote terrain. At the same time, it opens new possibilities for pay-as-you-go data models tailored to pre-paid markets, where VEON has deep customer insight.
For established mobile network operators (MNOs), the satellite-direct-to-device model represents both threat and opportunity. While partnerships (like VEON’s with Starlink) offer new service avenues, independent moves by satellite-first companies could bypass MNO value chains altogether. With Starlink offering network-agnostic integration, mobile carriers risk becoming stagnant pipes if they fail to actively leverage space-based infrastructure.
Telecoms analysts, such as those at Analysys Mason, predict that by 2030, 20–25% of rural mobile traffic could migrate to satellite channels, particularly in emerging economies. MNOs must now rethink their mid-term capital allocations, rural deployment strategies, and spectrum use strategies in the face of a radically shifting access paradigm.
Google, long influential in mobile innovation via Android, is now taking a more pronounced role in satellite communications. Project Kuiper, Amazon’s forthcoming satellite network competitor to Starlink, as well as reported collaborations between Google and satellite firms on cloud-edge hybrid models, puts the company at the nexus of both hardware and data frameworks. As web traffic transitions more frequently through space-based nodes, Google’s dominance in content delivery, device ecosystems, and cloud computing could help shape key standards across satellite-phone interfaces.
Every stakeholder—from chipmakers to app developers to network integrators—will face new economic incentives and technological dependencies as satellite-to-cell reshapes connectivity markets globally.
Direct-to-cell satellite services do not fit neatly into existing telecommunications frameworks. Every national regulator approaches this hybrid of space and terrestrial connectivity differently, creating a patchwork of rules that makes uniform deployment difficult. Licensing terms, requirements for terrestrial gateways, and approval timelines all vary sharply, even within regions such as the European Union. This fragmentation slows down global rollouts, as each territory demands its own complex negotiation and certification process.
For a mega-constellation like Starlink working with mobile operator VEON, the regulatory workload multiplies across dozens of markets. Landing rights, spectrum licenses, and frequency planning have to be coordinated with separate bodies, many of which lack a precedent to guide decision-making in this emerging category.
The electromagnetic spectrum is the foundation of satellite connectivity, and one of its most contested resources. Direct-to-cell technology relies on mobile spectrum—often existing LTE bands like Band 53 or Band 66—and integrating these into satellite communications raises global standardization issues. Satellite operators need harmonized access to these bands, yet such harmonization remains elusive.
In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in March 2023 to establish formal rules for “Supplemental Coverage from Space.” This move marked a key pivot, laying groundwork for commercial satellite providers like SpaceX to offer mobile coverage directly from orbit. Under this model, satellite firms can partner with licensed mobile operators to deliver service in remote or underserved regions using integrated spectral access.
SpaceX, in cooperation with T-Mobile, has already engaged in domestic testing under the new guidelines. However, this remains a U.S.-specific path. Outside the FCC’s jurisdiction, similar policy frameworks have not yet achieved the same clarity or scale, and few jurisdictions have embraced binding legislation tailored to direct-to-device satellite architecture.
VEON operates in markets ranging from Pakistan and Bangladesh to Ukraine and Algeria—each with wildly different levels of mobile infrastructure. In some cases, mobile operators may view satellite integration as a workaround to poor last-mile connectivity; in others, existing 4G and 5G infrastructure might not interoperate cleanly with orbital networks.
Regions without sufficient backhaul, terrestrial redundancies, or IP routing capacities will struggle to make effective use of satellite-to-cell capability. Even when regulatory permission is granted, infrastructure readiness can be a bottleneck. On the flip side, operators with advanced infrastructure may hesitate to invest in space-based systems if terrestrial ROI remains high.
So the question remains: Who will invest the capital to bridge this technological unevenness, and under what regulatory encouragement or pressure? The answer will dictate not just where the service launches first, but how deeply integrated it becomes in mobile ecosystems around the globe.
The Starlink-VEON agreement reveals a deliberate and calibrated move by SpaceX to evolve beyond its identity as a space launch provider. This deal signals more than just a technical collaboration—it underscores a pivot toward becoming a globally integrated telecommunications entity. The direct-to-cell push places Starlink in direct strategic alignment with the likes of traditional telcos, cloud giants, and satellite internet pioneers.
SpaceX has operational dominance in the launch sector, but the company’s vertical integration goes far deeper. Through Starlink, it controls satellite manufacturing, low earth orbit (LEO) deployment, ground station infrastructure, and increasingly, frontend customer solutions. The leap into direct-to-mobile connectivity alongside VEON places SpaceX in telecommunications territory occupied by Verizon, Vodafone, and even emerging cloud-telco hybrids.
With its fleet of over 5,800 active satellites as of Q2 2024, Starlink already operates the world's largest LEO network. This constellation underpins the capability to deliver latency-sensitive communication globally—something other network operators either lease or co-develop. VEON’s large footprint across Central and South Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa offers Starlink direct market access to regions where reliable terrestrial telco infrastructure remains underdeveloped or fragmented. That access turns theoretical LEO capacity into bankable user acquisition.
SpaceX has raised over $9 billion since 2015, with funding rounds increasingly anchored by institutional investors interested in Starlink rather than space launch ROI. Notably, Alphabet (Google’s parent company) and Microsoft have already established working relationships. Google Cloud signed a deal in 2021 to house Starlink ground stations at its data centers, enabling high-speed terrestrial backhaul. This connectivity loop—LEO to ground station to cloud edge—lays the groundwork for hybrid satellite-cloud services that compete directly with terrestrial backbones.
These moves don’t mimic a telecom's traditional evolution path. Instead, SpaceX is building a top-down model using scale, orbital assets, and broad-spectrum partnerships to fill in the architectural blanks across bandwidth delivery, device connectivity, and network services—all while bypassing legacy fiber and tower infrastructure.
Starlink’s ambitions are no longer confined to backhaul or rural broadband. Features like IP-based voice capability, mobile gear integration, and direct-to-cell access stack up into the telecom equivalence layer. Control over the middle-mile and first-mile, combined with entry into handset-based connectivity, moves Starlink from a supportive partner role into direct competition with mobile operators.
Whether the formal regulatory definitions follow or not, the network asset map puts SpaceX in the category of “carrier.” Instead of buying local spectrum or building towers, it’s leveraging orbital real-estate and licensed partner telcos as its distribution system.
This strategy enables service access where politics, topography, or economics hinder terrestrial rollout. While traditional telcos consolidate or seek government subsidies for rural deployment, Starlink skips the hurdles via skyborne infrastructure and global network orchestration.
And with VEON—a multinational operator with 160 million subscribers across nine countries—as its staging partner, Starlink doesn't just onboard users. It accelerates its metamorphosis into a global, full-stack telecommunications brand.
Customers connected to VEON networks across Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe won't need to rush out for new satellite-enabled smartphones. The direct-to-cell service backed by Starlink is being developed to work with existing 4G LTE devices. No satellite dish. No retrofitting. Just seamless integration.
The first wave of limited text messaging functionalities is projected to launch by late 2024. Full voice and data services are expected in 2025, depending on regional regulatory approvals and infrastructure readiness. VEON operates across markets with different telecom ecosystems, so rollout speeds may vary.
In the flat steppes of Kazakhstan, in the hills of Pakistan’s rural north, in the Saharan edge of Algeria—reliable mobile coverage has remained elusive. This partnership flips the script. Satellite-to-phone connectivity removes the dependency on towers and fiber infrastructure, delivering service directly from orbit to handheld devices in even the most remote zones.
Picture a rural school in Bangladesh where students now stream science content from global platforms. Imagine mobile health clinics in Ukraine instantly uploading patient charts to cloud systems mid-visit. Consider disaster relief teams in cyclone zones of Mozambique transmitting live GPS updates and requesting evacuations long before traditional lines are restored. This isn’t theoretical—it’s infrastructural transformation in motion.
Neither SpaceX nor VEON has released final pricing tiers, but early indications suggest the service will be positioned as a tiered add-on within VEON's existing mobile bundles. Expect models that differentiate between urban 5G users, rural LTE subscribers, and satellite-only fallback users—especially in off-grid zones.
This deal acts as a catalyst. Once Starlink makes standard mobile devices interoperable with orbital infrastructure, other mobile operators will follow. That leads to industry-wide shifts in how roaming works, how SIM provisioning happens, and how users pay for connectivity in dual-coverage environments (ground and satellite).
Customers worldwide should expect more seamless failovers in urban settings—when earthquakes or floods knock out terrestrial signal—and a baseline of “everywhere coverage” as a new norm in mobile plans. Whether local operators come to the table or resist will depend on how customers respond once the VEON-Starlink model hits the airwaves.
The Starlink-VEON agreement doesn’t just mark a technological partnership—it redraws the map of mobile connectivity. For the first time, a satellite internet provider with unparalleled orbital capacity has forged a commercial pathway to directly integrate with terrestrial mobile networks across multiple emerging markets. And VEON, with its deep roots and extensive customer base in regions often ignored by telecom giants, now positions itself at the front line of satellite-to-phone innovation.
This isn’t a minor pivot in mobile technology. It's an inflection point that signals where the telecom industry is heading: toward seamless, borderless, device-native connectivity, delivered via space infrastructure. As direct-to-cell tech matures, users in remote provinces of Pakistan, underserved regions of Bangladesh, or conflict-impacted zones in Ukraine will skip the 4G rollout drama and move straight to satellite-enhanced network coverage. No cell towers, no signal dead zones—just uninterrupted service anytime a compatible mobile is powered on.
Competition in the satellite-to-phone space—fueled by other players like AST SpaceMobile, Lynk Global, and even ground-based disruptors—is no longer theoretical. It's active, funded, and scaling fast. The deal between VEON and Starlink ratchets up pressure and accelerates the timeline for rival operators. Innovation will follow the heat. Service pricing models, handset compatibility, satellite licensing processes, and cross-border spectrum rights can no longer operate on assumptions shaped by 20th-century infrastructure models.
For policy architects and investors, this is the early stage of a new cycle. Satellite internet's previous chapter focused on high-latency GPS or niche broadband use cases. Today, real-time voice, data, and even IoT applications are on the table, without dependency on dense grid infrastructure. Markets once written off due to cost or complexity become viable in one orbital leap.
As competitors strengthen their satellite fleets and telcos re-evaluate their national strategies, one thing becomes unavoidable: connectivity is moving off the ground. VEON's bold move, enabled by Starlink’s orbital dominance, forces a reassessment of what “coverage” really means in 2024—and where market value will be created next.
What comes next? That depends on regulators' readiness, handset makers' adaptability, and satellite companies' execution. But the trajectory is set: mobile networks are heading for the stratosphere.
Want to stay ahead as connectivity redefines its boundaries? Bookmark this story, follow the key players, and track the satellite-to-cell rollout market-by-market. The race is accelerating. The outcome will shape billions of digital lives.
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