Hungarian tech, telecommunications, and defense company 4iG Group will launch SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile in certain European markets. The companies’ Sept. 2 announcement involved three initiatives — the current Starlink Mobile service, the future Starlink Mobile V2 service, and sovereign solutions for Europe.
4iG Group will launch Starlink Mobile for commercial service in Hungary and Albania. Starlink Mobile is the renamed Starlink Direct-to-Cell offering where Starlink satellites connect directly to unmodified mobile phones to supplement terrestrial coverage. 4iG noted the rollout schedule will depend on the regulatory, technical, and commercial conditions in each market.
Both Kyivstar Ukraine and Virgin O2 in the U.K. operate a Starlink Mobile service as well.
Separately, 4iG plans to deploy the next generation, Starlink Mobile V2, which will operate in SpaceX’s 2GHz priority rights acquired from EchoStar. That service is planned to launch in Hungary, Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
President and COO Gwynne Shotwell recently said SpaceX plans to start flying the second generation of the Starlink Mobile satellites next year, providing service by the end of next year. The second generation will likely be 10 times the amount of satellites as the current Starlink Mobile constellation (around 650 satellites), Shotwell said.
“4iG Group’s forward-leaning adoption of Starlink Mobile, including our next-gen V2 constellation technology, will deliver resilient direct-to-device connectivity to people across Hungary and the Western Balkans. V2 will enable high-speed broadband directly to mobile phones and harmonize the 2GHz spectrum we’ll use around the world,” Shotwell commented in the 4iG announcement.
Deutsche Telekom was the first to sign on for the Mobile V2 service and the telco plans to deploy across 10 European countries.
4iG and SpaceX also plan to deploy a sovereign solutions offering which is described as an “integrated service with augmented satellite communications and end-to-end secured data communications.” It is scheduled to launch next year and is set to provide broadband connectivity and secure sovereign network infrastructure.
“4iG Group and SpaceX developed a first-of-its kind model that represents a commercial service with Starlink’s satellite-to-mobile technology and establishing the first sovereign solutions in Europe. We are proud to be leading this vision in Europe and setting a new global standard of what’s possible,” commented Gellért Jászai, chairman and CEO of 4iG Group.
