German telco Deutsche Telekom (DT), despite having announced an agreement with SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile, now says it is also open to working with other direct-to-cellular service providers if they can offer competitive service.

“We provide our customers with the best mobile network. And we continue to invest heavily in expanding our infrastructure,” said Abdu Mudesir, Board Member for Product and Technology at DT. “At the same time, there are regions where expansion is especially complex due to topographical conditions or official constraints. We want to ensure reliable connectivity for our customers in those areas as well. That is why we are strategically complementing our network with satellite-to-mobile connectivity. For us, it is clear: connectivity creates security and trust. And we deliver. Everywhere.”

“We’re so pleased to bring reliable satellite-to-mobile connectivity to millions of people across 10 countries in partnership with Deutsche Telekom,“ said Stephanie Bednarek, VP of Starlink Sales. “This agreement will be the first-of-its-kind in Europe to launch Starlink’s V2 next-generation technology that will expand on data, voice and messaging by providing broadband directly to mobile phones.”

Deutsche Telekom already provides by far the largest 5G geographic coverage in Germany, reaching close to 90 percent of the country’s area. LTE covers more than 92 percent of the area, and voice services are available across up to 99 percent according to data.

SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile “Everywhere Network” is scheduled to launch in early 2028 in several European Telecom markets, including Germany.

Deutsche Bank’s investment arm, which operates independently from the telco division, is backing AST SpaceMobile, and on March 4 raised its view on AST’s share price target to $139 per share (from $137). “ASTS has accomplished a great deal in reaching this point in time. This includes the development and design of its satellites, raising significant capital to fund the constellation, establishing partnerships with MNOs worldwide, building vertically integrated manufacturing capacity, securing spectrum rights, establishing the Satco JV in Europe, launching 6 commercial satellites to date, adding the US Government as a customer, and creating a robust patent portfolio. The key focus for ASTS in 2026 is now building and launching satellites.”

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, Satellite, Telco

Tags: Deutsche Telekom, germany, starlink