Look Who's Using D2C Satellite Phones Now!

Starting in 2018, Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX -1.74%) sent up its first experimental Starlink satellites intended to provide broadband internet to Earth. In 2019, SpaceX began constructing the Starlink constellation. Around the same time, AST SpaceMobile launched its first test satellite, introducing the concept of "direct-to-cell" or "direct-to-cellphone" communications (DTC).

SpaceX launched Starlink satellites capable of supporting DTC calls in January 2024, months before AST's first five commercial BlueBird satellites reached orbit. Today, SpaceX has 650 DTC satellites in orbit, while AST has only 13. Although DTC comprises just 6.5% of SpaceX's total Starlink satellites, recent data from Opensignal.com reveals a significant concentration of DTC connections in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and western South America.

Meanwhile, most of the rest of the world shows minimal activity. Meanwhile, Starlink's DTC business may still be in its infancy, the Opensignal data offers investors an early glimpse into the potential revenue growth and earnings growth in this newest division of SpaceX.