BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Starlink said Monday that it plans to begin launching next year its second generation of satellites that will allow “direct-to-cell” service without passing through ground antennas.

“We’ll begin launching in mid-2027 with Starship, we’ll be able to deploy the constellation very quickly” said Michael Nicolls, vice president for Starlink engineering at Space X, referring to the company’s super-heavy launch rocket.

The new constellation will initially be composed of 1,200 satellites.

“The goal of Starlink mobile, which will be enabled by the second-generation constellation, is to provide a terrestrial-like connectivity when you’re connected to the satellite system,” said Nicolls, speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

It should enter service six months after the first launch.

Starlink currently has more than 9,000 satellites, including around 600 with “direct-to-cell” technology.

The firm owned by United States (US) billionaire Elon Musk has partnered with several cellular network operators to offer the service.

However, Nicolls said it hopes to use in the second generation satellites the frequencies it purchased in November 2025 from US operator EchoStar for US$17 billion, subject to regulatory approval.

He said Starlink was working closely with phone manufacturers to ensure as many devices as possible may access the service.