SpaceX, Amazon and Rocket Lab are each moving satellite direct-to-device plans around spectrum access, while Elveo Mobile emerges from the Lynk-Omnispace merger with contracts, rights and a rollout plan of its own.
The story is less about a single launch timeline than about who controls the frequencies, the assets and the customer commitments behind D2D.
SpaceX is tying EchoStar spectrum to a hybrid network plan
SpaceX is spending nearly $20 billion in cash and stock to acquire spectrum licenses from EchoStar. The package includes AWS-4, H-block and unpaired AWS-3 licenses, and the transaction is expected to close around November 2027.
SpaceX intends to use 65 MHz of EchoStar spectrum to build a hybrid satellite-terrestrial network and compete directly with US carriers. Its next-generation mobile constellation is planned to launch next year, with services expected by the end of that year.
Amazon and Rocket Lab are buying into spectrum through M&A
Amazon announced an agreement to acquire Globalstar for $11.6 billion to expand the Amazon Leo network into D2D services. The deal is expected to close sometime in 2027, and the mobile constellation is planned for launch in 2028.
Globalstar’s spectrum rights include about 25 MHz across L-band and S-band MSS spectrum, plus 11.5 MHz in the terrestrial 2.4 GHz midband. Rocket Lab is buying Iridium in a deal that values the operator at around $8 billion, and the combination would pair Rocket Lab’s manufacturing and launch capabilities with Iridium’s satellite constellations, positioning and connectivity services, and rights to 9 MHz of L-band MSS spectrum.
Rocket Lab’s transaction is expected to complete in mid-2027.
Elveo Mobile starts with contracts and spectrum in hand
Elveo Mobile is the new D2D challenger formed after the merger of Lynk and Omnispace. It will provide connectivity for smartphones and IoT devices worldwide using multi-orbit satellites and terrestrial and MSS spectrum, working with mobile network operators and other enterprises.
Elveo Mobile has contracts with 56 mobile operators covering 60 countries. It also has international rights to 60 MHz of S-band MSS spectrum from Omnispace.
The company plans to deploy a constellation of 320 low-Earth-orbit satellites and launch commercial services by early 2028.
Read for satellite D2D buyers and mobile operators
For mobile operators and enterprise buyers, the benchmark is no longer just coverage claims. The disclosed terms now include spectrum holdings, launch dates and the operator footprints each D2D player can already show.
That matters because Elveo Mobile is already selling against 56 operator contracts in 60 countries, while SpaceX, Amazon and Rocket Lab are tying their plans to specific spectrum assets and 2027-2028 timelines.
Viasat, Space42 and AST SpaceMobile are also building around spectrum access
Viasat and Space42 are forming a joint venture called Equatys to pool satellite infrastructure and L-band and S-band MSS spectrum for other D2D providers. AST SpaceMobile and Vodafone launched their Satellite Connect Europe joint venture in February.
The AST SpaceMobile and Vodafone venture is based in Luxembourg, operates in Germany and is building five ground stations across Europe.
Recent consolidation frames the current D2D push
Recent satellite industry consolidation includes Viasat’s acquisition of Inmarsat, Eutelsat’s purchase of OneWeb in 2023, and SES’s acquisition of Intelsat last year. That is the backdrop to the current round of D2D dealmaking, where spectrum and operating assets are being assembled into larger satellite platforms.